Star Reaver
by Manus Dei
Summary: After the battle at the Omega platform, where so many lost their lives, there seems to be little hope for the Koprulu sector... and for the entire universe. However, a universe is rarely isolated, and other forces decide to introduce new possibilities.
1. Prologue

Between Light and Darkness - Part I - Warriors of Hope

Subpart 1 - Star Reaver

February 2nd 2502, 1 PM

It was a cold shiny day in the wastelands of Braxis. An eerie silence enveloped the ruins of the Psi Disruptor, now nothing more than chunks of burnt metal and twisted beams scattered along with frozen corpses. The morning sun did little to thaw the unbelievable cold, but the local fauna had little to fear from the harsh climate. A pack of ursadons ran around in their usual routine, looking for food. If nothing else, the cold had made them develop their senses and endurance, although that meant little against the sick sense of humor of some Terrans who seemed to love blowing them up. Time went slowly by, the creatures left, and a few moments later, a few drops in an ocean of time, slow steps started echoing through the cold emptiness. A figure approached the site of the terrible battle and sighed heavily as it surveyed the area. A man, no doubt, wearing a bulky teal armor that sheltered him from the cold and carrying a menacing gauss rifle that had obviously seen its share of action. Walking slowly, as if afraid of the memories of this place, he moved closer, until he was right in front of one of the ruined doorways from which the Directorate soldiers had rushed to battle during the Zerg onslaught. Raising the armor's black visor, he took a deep breath, letting out a gush of vapor. There was a tired look in his eyes, and he definitely wasn't happy. Jim Raynor was a troubled man with a weight on his shoulders.

"Damn that bitch..." he thought "And damn those UED morons for jumping the gun...If they hadn't barged in like damn cowboys, none of this would have happened."

He paused for a moment, as he remembered the role he had played in the destruction of the colossal device that now stood before him.

"What the hell am I gonna do now...?" he wondered "There's got to be someone out there who can stand up to that bitch... I can't let her win like this. Tassadar... Fenix... She's gonna pay, I swear it!"

His thoughts were interrupted by a kind of shriek he knew too well. A pack of zerglings ran from a nearby forest, probably scouting for prey. As soon as they spotted him, they changed course and dashed in, ignorant of the skill of who they thought to be just another meal. Raynor raised his rifle and lowered his visor, unwilling to let them get a cheap shot at his face.

"Bring it on bitch!" he yelled, before riddling the creatures with cold metal bullets. They never had a chance.

Nervous, he looked around, trying to see if there were any other Zerg in the area.

"Better get outta here before more of them come..." he thought, running the same way he had come "good thing I hid my Vulture in a safe place."

A few minutes later he found the spot he was looking for, next to a rocky cliff. Getting his hand into the snow, he felt something below, with an unmistakable shape. He then located a small control panel and pushed a specific button. The hoverbike hummed to life and let out a gust of hot air, melting the snow around and over it. Raynor jumped to the seat and set off, dashing through the wasteland and running over the occasional zergling. Avoiding the tighter cliffs, he moved through a large rocky area until he reached the entrance to a large cave. He stopped his hoverbike and took long steps towards the cave, and stopping right at the entrance, he shouted into the blackness.

"Mengsk is a bastard!"

"And Kerrigan's a bitch!" a woman's voice replied from the inside, before bursting into laughter.

Raynor heard a few steps in his direction, and then a young woman appeared, wearing a Ghost suit with a pilot's helmet. She had a slim agile figure, and looked slightly odd overall. There was something about the gaze from her piercing green eyes that made most people feel slightly uncomfortable, and her curly reddish hair looked like a blazing flame.

"Only you, to think of such a recognition code..." she said, still snickering "So, are we done here Commander?"

Raynor nodded.

"Yes Rowena, we're done here... for now. Did you get any news while I was gone?"

She made a brief salute and presented her report.

"As we suspected, the people of Korhal and several other Dominion-controlled worlds are pretty sick of Mengsk by now, and since he's been tightening his grip as of late, there are several groups who wouldn't mind getting rid of him. Our agent on Korhal has met with one of those groups, and he believes that we may be able to incorporate them into the Raiders."

"Hmmm... Things are finally looking up... Any news from Zeratul though?"

"Unfortunately no. Shakuras is still in an uproar over his disappearance, and rumors abound, but there's nothing new along the lines of hard evidence."

"He's a tricky one, all right... Well, it'll be better if we keep a low profile ourselves. Our plan will be hard to follow otherwise."

"The Freya is ready for takeoff. Shall we...?"

Raynor nodded and returned to his Vulture, driving it into the cave. Inside was a modified Valkyrie frigate, with improved engines and a small cargo hold below the wings. While Rowena started the engine, he opened the cargo hold and extended a small ramp, before moving his hoverbike inside. After making sure that everything was properly sealed, he walked out and climbed into the cockpit.

"All set... Let's get outta here."

"Should I assume that you're going to check that report on Korhal?"

"You read my mind..." he replied with a smile.

"No, if I did, I'd probably end up calling you a few names..." she said with a soft laugh.

Meanwhile, a universe away...

His long hunt was finally coming to an end, or so he thought. Through frozen wastelands of his own world, he had fought his way and triumphed over a final challenge, a rocky maze in the heart of a mountain. Now, as he stood before the final doorway, he was already feeling like a hunter about to strike. Thoughts of vengeance filled his mind once again, and fueled by them, he pushed the large double doors aside with his cloven hands. The skinny blue wraith with a cowl over his ruined jaw, ragged wings, black hair and empty white eyes found himself in a wide round chamber with several platforms above, forming a circle. On the walls by each platform was a strange device that looked like a clock pointer with a handle. In front of his eyes was a flight of stairs, leading to a wall with a large round shape crowned by a round jewel. But his would-be prey had other plans, and as they clashed with words and blows, his opponent adjusted the odd mechanism through levers all across the room, until a howling blue portal appeared on the far wall. Pausing for a moment, before taunting him again, the ancient vampire master of greenish skin and feral eyes smiled in amusement, exposing the tips of his fangs. Then, before his enraged adversary could react, he vanished into the gateway. The demon knew exactly what to do, and recklessly chased the vampire inside...


	2. A Troubled Awakening

Chapter 1 – A Troubled Awakening

First came the hate and rage as he chased his hated adversary through the portal, and then the overwhelming vertigo as he felt himself being hurled between dimensions. As chaotic energies carried him to the other side and sealed the way behind him, he couldn't help but wonder how long this trip was going to take, and where or when he would find himself next. Having heard of Moebius' Chronoplasm chamber ages before, he had always feared the results of tampering with the time stream. A few confusing moments later, his feet hit solid ground once again, and as his eyes adjusted to the intense light, he found himself in a bizarre landscape.

Raziel had heard tales of distant lands where nothing grew except small shrubs, barren places inhabited by poisonous animals and carrion eaters that sustained themselves with the corpses of unwary travelers. However, no tale could have prepared him for what was before his eyes. The land where he found himself was completely dry, with seemingly endless dunes stretching as far as he could see, under a scorching and unforgiving sun. As he surveyed his surroundings, he could feel the searing heat, despite the radical transformation he had endured. Stunned by this alien sight, more hostile in his eyes than the depths of the Spectral Realm, he checked himself, almost wondering if he was hallucinating. His blue, nearly skeletal body was completely undamaged by his new standards. He couldn't help clenching his cloven fists as he looked at his ruined wings, still hanging from his back as a reminder of everything he had lost. The tattered brown flag with his clan mark slipped slightly from around his neck, exposing his jawless face, the fangs and the eerie hole into which so many souls had already vanished. Still ashamed of his appearance, he quickly put it back in place. Ordering his thoughts, he was finally able to speak to himself.

"This looks nothing like Nosgoth… Where in blazes am I…?"

His thoughts then focused on the object of his hate. Kain, his former master, the betrayer, the living cancer, who, in his eyes, had not only destroyed him and his clan out of jealousy, but also allowed his brothers to degenerate into foul monstrosities as Nosgoth choked under the corruption he had unleashed upon it. The discovery of his Sarafan heritage had only taken his indignation to new heights, and even though Kain was nowhere in sight, the wraith wasn't about to give up the chase.

"Very well, you treacherous bastard…" he thought out loud, raising his fist "You may have escaped me yet again… but I will find you, and end this once and for all!"

A now familiar blue energy blade manifested itself once again, coiling around his right arm and erupting with a startling shriek. The Soul Reaver was awake once again, and like its wielder, it hungered. Its presence was reassuring in a way, since Raziel knew that its manifestation would sustain his energy, freeing him from the need to consume souls, at least until his next confrontation. With furious resolve, he strode forth, into the unknown, his blank eyes focused on the horizon like those of an angry predator.

Time seemed to drag on in this forsaken place, and the heat was becoming an annoyance. A human would have severe difficulty enduring the wasteland for more than a few minutes, Raziel thought, as he pressed onward, without really knowing where he was heading. To him, this place seemed utterly devoid of life, a blazing inferno where not even demons would want to tread. There were no traces of shade in this dull landscape that seemed to stretch on forever, and instead of providing a respite from the searing heat, the winds swept the land in blazing bursts, kicking up the sand and making the wraith shield his eyes with his cloven hands. It dawned on him that any vampire caught in this wasteland would be instantly incinerated by the merciless sun, but that gave him little consolation, since he knew that his adversary was notorious for surviving against all odds.

"Typical of that sadistic bastard…" he thought "I would not be surprised if he had lured me here only to watch me fry under this accursed sun. Well, I will not let this wasteland deter me. You cannot hide, Kain… wherever you are."

Raziel kept going, defying the blazing sun and the infernal air that could have burned a human's lungs. If he was still alive, he knew he would have already passed out from a massive sunstroke. The Reaver's glow intensified, fueled by his rage and aggravation. He felt as if he had been walking for years, and there seemed to be no end to the sandy wastes. He looked over his shoulder, and noticed that whatever footsteps he might have left had already been wiped by the wind. He was feeling quite annoyed at the way Kain had escaped right from under his blue nose, and his surroundings didn't help. He kept thinking about all the pain he had experienced, since the moment when his wings were torn from the horrible descent into the abyss. Usually, when those thoughts kicked in, he managed to find a few enemies to unleash his rage upon, but in such blasted emptiness, he was completely alone. He clenched his fists and snarled as he continued his stride, imagining himself inflicting countless unspeakable tortures upon his betrayer.

Suddenly, he saw strange shapes on the horizon. Intrigued, he picked up speed and quickly dashed through the sands. For a moment, he forgot all about the searing heat and made his way towards what appeared to be an abandoned battlefield. Large chunks of metallic debris were scattered all over the place, and he also saw some strange structures that appeared to have been torn apart by colossal fangs. He also saw some strange mechanical contraptions half-buried in the sand. Some of them were man-sized, with bulky arms and legs, but many others were much larger.

"What is this place?" he wondered "And these metallic monstrosities… Either I have ended up in a remote time period, or… this is not Nosgoth at all."

A particular construct caught his eye. It was much larger than all the others, even bigger than the strange buildings, made of the same metal, but with a very different appearance. It had a bulky forward section, shaped like a T, and two large parallel protuberances on its sides. He noticed several very large orifices in its back, big enough for him to climb into. This strange machine had massive holes in its hull, and the forward section seemed to be barely held together by a few metal beams. He noticed that the side was ornamented with a strange symbol, a black eagle above a red triangle, which had an odd circle in its center that seemed to depict an unknown world.

"Strange…" he thought "I doubt that even the Hylden structures in Meridian would be this odd. I have never seen this kind of metal or architecture. And these plated abominations… are they supposed to move?"

He then noticed what appeared to be armors, with a bulky plated frame and black visors on exaggeratedly large helmets. They were scattered all over the place, some of them still gripping strange long weapons, and they seemed to come in two colors, white and red. The paint on them was badly scratched by sand, and their surface had many dents and holes, undoubtedly the result of a vicious battle. As he walked towards the large construct, he saw human bones sticking out of some of them, and a few had their visors completely smashed, revealing weathered skulls.

Even though he was already used to death and destruction, having seen a lot of both as one of Kain's lieutenants, this forgotten battlefield was completely alien to him. As he strode further across the remains, he had a strange feeling, as if he was being watched. Suddenly, a small pack of zerglings burst out from under the sand. Raziel was slightly taken aback by the creatures' bizarre appearance, but their intentions were clear to him as they rushed in his direction.

"What foul monstrosities are these?" he thought out loud "Such abominations are too filthy even by the Hylden's standards."

Drawing upon the power of the Reaver, he made short work of the creatures, their bodies practically exploding into splashes of blood at the blade's searing touch. Just as he had finished the last of them off, he heard a sound from above. Startled, he took cover in the shadow of one of the wreckages. As he looked up, he saw three Dominion wraiths, darting through the sky.

"Flying machines?" he thought, raising an eyebrow.

One of the Dominion pilots checked his radar, intrigued by a reading that had lasted only a few seconds.

"Hey guys" he said to the others through the comlink "Did you see anything down there?"

"Nope." another replied.

"Weird… must be seeing things."

As the wraiths continued their course, Raziel decided to be a little more discreet, still unsure of what he'd just seen. He kept going, eventually reaching the end of the ruin field, until he saw a wide path in the sand, marked by a series of small beacons along its sides. Shrugging, he decided to follow it, and after a few minutes, he found himself standing in front of a large complex, surrounded by concrete walls and with an average-sized solid steel gate. He could hear voices from the other side, and, sneaking in as quietly as he could, he made his way past the forward bunkers. As he took cover behind a supply depot, he could distinctly make out two voices nearby.

"I've never seen anything like it." one of the voices said "The Zerg are a bunch of bloodthirsty bastards, but they've never taken it that far around here. They usually spit and claw, and then move on to find something else to kill."

"Just what happened anyway?" another voice asked "The bodies were carried in completely covered, and all I know is the nurses almost freaked out when they saw the state they were in."

"Well, you're not going to believe this, but it looks like all their blood was sucked out somehow."

"Get outta here! The Zerg are parasites, but what the hell would they want blood for?"

Those words got Raziel's attention, as he looked around, barely avoiding getting seen by a couple of marines. Clearly the people in whatever place he was at the moment had never seen a vampire, or they would have immediately recognized the telltale signs on the corpses. And if there was a vampire around, there could be only one possible explanation. Kain.

"That bastard has always enjoyed making his presence known." he thought. "I guess old habits die hard. He was always a bit of a show off. But where could he be now?"

Even a hardened old vampire like Kain would inevitably have some trouble with the scorching heat, not to mention the searing sunlight. If Raziel, even in his wraith form, was feeling extremely uncomfortable, then he could only wonder how Kain would survive in such a place. However, despite the thought of watching him turn into a pile of ashes, Raziel was determined to end his life himself. It would be a humiliation to let his quest for vengeance end with a little bit of sunlight.

Suddenly, interrupting his thoughts, an alarm siren went off, startling him. As the guards in the compound rushed around with their weapons ready to fire, Raziel thought he might have been discovered. However, he soon realized that no one had noticed him yet, and that the guards were running outside. He could hear some of them, cursing as they went by.

"Son of a bitch!" one of the marines shouted "Where the hell did he go!"

"Infested pricks!" another one cursed "Just how did they get in anyway?"

Somehow, Raziel had a familiar feeling. Sneaking into one of the buildings, he found himself in an ample medical facility, and even though his resurrection had been a disfiguring process that had left him barely recognizable, he could almost feel the stench of death. He felt that a few souls had recently been torn from their mortal vessels, and that feeling intensified as he reached a small morgue. Disfigured corpses were lying on a few tables, their red armors blown to bits. The exposed sections of their bodies were full of claw marks, and their exposed necks were clearly punctured. It would appear that this time around, Kain had had some trouble deciding whether to get as much blood as possible, or to simply have some fun obliterating the weak humans.

Looking away from the mangled bodies, Raziel suddenly noticed a small figure in bulky white armor, cowering in a corner. Hesitating for a moment, he stepped forward, making sure she could take a good look at him.

"What happened here, human?" he asked, trying to sound less threatening than usual. The young woman raised her head, startled, and was then paralyzed by an even greater terror as she looked at his features. She was about to scream, when he swiftly placed one of his large cloven fingers over her lips.

"No screaming, please." he said in an exasperated tone. After seeing the reactions of many humans to his appearance during his journey, Raziel had grown quite sick of them. First, a lone vampire hunter had tried to kill him near Melchiah's territory. Then, as he ventured around and into Zephon's lair, a few of them had started bowing at his passage. He'd found it quite off, of course, since the usual reaction of most people would have been completely different. Then, later on, he'd found a human citadel. For some reason, the people there had started bowing before him as well, kneeling as if he was some sort of divine emissary. He had wondered if the people there were insane, but since they posed no threat to him, he'd left them alone. However, he was still quite annoyed by human hysteria, especially considering all the whimpering and screaming the mere sight of a vampire would cause in Nosgoth.

The woman shivered under the armor, and Raziel took a step back.

"I will ask again… What happened here?"

The woman gulped, staring at him with fear in her eyes, but she managed to get a few words out.

"The… the bodies… I was… examining them… autopsy… and next thing I know, the doctors in the next room started screaming… blood all over the place… and that laugh… that horrible laugh…"

Raziel sighed, recognizing Kain's bloodthirsty debauchery. When it came to slaughter, Kain could even more addicted than a drunkard to cheap ale.

"Did you see anything else?"

The woman hesitated for a moment before replying.

"A… green-skinned freak… with a sword… He did it, I saw him… He noticed me… and after killing them, he just looked at me and laughed. And he said… 'I don't know what this place is, but at least I can keep myself occupied until that blue fool shows up. If he is anywhere near here, he'll be bound to notice the ruckus. As for you… shoo. I've had my fill for now.'"

Raziel raised an eyebrow.

"Typical… Always goading and baiting me…" he thought out loud.

"Just… what are you anyway?" she asked "A Protoss? And who was that freak?"

"A what?" he asked, looking at her and blinking "I had never heard that particular name. Well… if he insisted on leaving you here to goad me into following him, I assume he cannot be too far… I will deal with him. But where exactly am I?"

The woman was even more puzzled. She had never expected to see such an odd creature, and the knowledge that he was lost and disoriented brought her little comfort. Looking at him made her feel almost as uneasy as the carnage she had witnessed. A leftover from the UED, she had somehow survived the massive attack by Kerrigan's broods, the Protoss and the Dominion, who were bent on expelling the Directorate from Korhal. After that, she had been lucky to survive, and when she heard of the catastrophe at the Omega platform, where the UED fleet had been annihilated, she simply tried to blend in with the Dominion troops. The officer she had spoken with didn't care where she'd come from, as long as she could do her job and keep the men alive. Ordering her thoughts, she finally answered Raziel's question.

"This is one of the Dominion's forward bases on the Talkar region. We're on Korhal."

Those names meant nothing to him, and she could see his confusion.

"I guess I will have to find that bastard before I can even find a way out of here..." he said "I will be on my way now."

As he left the same way he'd entered, the woman blinked in surprise.

"This just isn't my day…" she thought as she managed to get back on her feet.

Raziel dashed outside. At this point, he didn't care if he was spotted or not. All he wanted was to find Kain. In his mind, it was also his fault if the Chronoplasm chamber had left him stranded in such a wasteland, and that was merely another insult he intended to avenge. The siren had been turned off, and he was thankful to be rid of the annoying sound, but he was no closer to his goal.

Just as he thought that things had calmed down, however, he heard a strange metallic sound, and followed it to the back of a machine shop. Just as he arrived there, he saw another human, wearing a different kind of armor, slimmer than the ones he'd seen on the guards and in the ruin field. Moving quietly, the human sat on an old wooden chair as if waiting for someone. A metallic door opened, and another armored figure walked in. They kept their voices so low, even Raziel had a hard time hearing anything. Then, the newcomer jumped on a vulture bike and headed out, as swiftly and silently as possible. But then, all of a sudden, a loud bang was heard, and the vulture stopped on its tracks. The figure on the chair got up in a hurry and darted outside.

"Shit!" the figure on the vulture cursed. Raziel heard the man's voice and got the feeling there was more going on than what met the eye.

"Let me see that." The other man said, opening a panel in the vulture's rear section. A bit of smoke came out, and the rider got off the bike and examined the exposed parts.

"I think the power regulator just bit the dust." the slim-armored man said.

"Great, just great…" the other replied "And right in the middle of the outpost too… I knew I should have checked this thing after that side trip to Braxis…"

"Hold on a second." the slim-armored man said, running back into the machine shop. He came back a few seconds later with a new part, which he fitted into the vulture's innards.

The rider got back on the bike and started the engine. As he heard the reassuring sound of the machine coming back to life, he gave the other man a thumbs-up.

"Thanks man. I'd better get outta here before they decide to see what's going on."

The rider managed to leave the compound through a small back door, speeding off into the endless dunes just as a trio of guards arrived at the machine shop.

"What happened? What was that noise?" one of them asked the man that was just standing there.

"Nothing big… The electric panel blew a fuse."

Either the guards were quite stupid, or there was something wrong with their eyesight, Raziel thought. As soon as they left, he suddenly decided to go out the same way he had seem the rider leave. For some reason, he had an odd feeling about the scene he had witnessed.

After an hour that felt like a century under the oppressive heat, Raziel suddenly came across a large rock formation that was in deep contrast with the sand. In its shadow, he suddenly noticed a pair of yellowish eyes, staring at him. Surprised, he ran forward, and before he knew it, he was standing right in front of Kain, who immediately put up his usual smug expression.

"You certainly took your time, Raziel." he said as if the wraith was merely late for a croquet match. However, Raziel noticed that his face and chest had a few burns, no doubt due to the sun. He wondered how he'd been able to survive. Granted that Kain was already an ancient vampire with plenty of tricks up his proverbial sleeve, but this time he hadn't been able to emerge completely unharmed.

"Well, if it isn't the degenerate bastard." Raziel replied, summoning the Reaver "I believe we have… unfinished business."

The tone in his voice was cold and bitter at the same time, and Kain could feel the rage boiling inside his former lieutenant.

"Not this time, Raziel. Something is amiss here, as you have probably noticed." He said those words as if dismissing a stubborn child, knowing too well that it would just make Raziel angrier.

"Do you think you can just dismiss me after everything you have put me through?" Raziel growled at him.

The wraith lunged forward, trying to run him through with the Reaver. However, Kain simply tossed him aside with a burst of telekinetic energy.

"Now is not the time, Raziel. I… did not plan for this. Something went wrong."

Raziel was too angry to pay attention. He jumped back to his feet and clawed at Kain's neck, rabidly trying to seize it. Kain sighed and immobilized him with another feat of telekinesis, holding Raziel a few feet off the ground. He knew better than to try reasoning with him in this state. Even in his days as a vampire, Raziel's temper had been difficult to handle.

"I will say this in a way that your limited intellect will understand, then. Consider this incident… an interruption, a deviation from the original path. I do not know how we ended up here, but if you truly wish to settle our differences once and for all, you will have to do so back on Nosgoth."

Ignoring Raziel's murderous glare, Kain suddenly disappeared, teleporting without warning. The wraith found himself being unceremoniously dropped to the ground, and as he fell, he was furious enough to tear the rock formation apart with his bare claws. Before he had the chance, however, he heard footsteps in his direction. Quickly turning around, he saw the same rider he had watched leaving the compound, holding an automatic standard issue gauss rifle, pretty common amongst marines. However, this particular weapon had been heavily modified, featuring a laser sight, an optical scope, a silencer, an extended magazine and a few other devices that would delight most soldiers. Strangely enough, he was simply holding the weapon, and not pointing it at him, which Raziel found odd, considering how bizarre his appearance would seem to most humans. Then, the wraith watched on, as the man opened his visor, revealing a face that would be instantly recognized anywhere in the Koprulu Sector. For the first time since the Omega platform, Jim Raynor was surprised.

"I didn't know there were any Protoss around here." he said, examining Raziel's features "You look a lot like one, but there's something different about you. Who are you anyway?"

Raziel took a good look at him, surprised at his casual tone and relaxed posture.

"This is the second time someone mentions those so-called Protoss. I do not think I know what they are, since I am a stranger to these lands."

"Well, do you have a name, stranger?" Raynor asked, intrigued by the almost human voice he was hearing in his mind.

"I am Raziel." the wraith replied after a few moments of silent hesitation.

"Well, Raziel, the name's Jim Raynor. I had the feeling you couldn't be from these parts. What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"

It was a polite question, and Raziel couldn't find the slightest hint of malice in it. Exchanging a few simple words wouldn't hurt, even though he was beginning to dislike humans almost as much as his former brethren.

"I am hunting a treacherous, murderous bastard who ruined my life on a whim. After a thousand years of pain, I returned to my world only to have the degenerate beast goad me into following him through a time warp of some sort. And now, just as I was about to have my vengeance, he merely pushed me aside and vanished once again."

"Ouch!" Raynor replied "And I thought I had it bad just because I accidentally helped the Queen Bitch of the Universe get rid of a few invaders, only to see her turn on us at the first chance. Well, if the guy you're after is gone, then maybe you should consider getting out of here. You'll probably get lost in the desert on your own, and even if you don't, this is a nasty place to be. The Dominion patrols have been getting pretty damn active lately, and it's just not safe for anyone right now."

"I have to admit I am at a loss." Raziel said, putting a hand on the back of his head "I have no idea where the bastard will appear next, since he can teleport around indefinitely. I suppose I will need to get my bearings before I will be able to track him down."

"Well, if you want, you can come with me. We could both use a rest, and this damn heat could knock out an ultralisk in no time. I'll just signal my ship for pickup, so we can get out of this hellhole."

Intrigued, Raziel watched as Raynor activated a portable communicator on his wrist.

"Teal Leader to Mother Hawk, come in Mother Hawk."

Rowena's voice soon came in through the communicator.

"Mother Hawk here, what's your status?"

"The eggs are baked. Let's go get the toasts."

"Roger that, Teal Leader. The Big Bird is going to the nest."

The odd conversation made Raziel blink.

"What was that all about?" the wraith asked.

"Well, we can never be too sure. Our encryption system is pretty good, but using some extra coding while on covert missions will ensure we're not caught."

"Covert missions?"

"Yeah" Raynor replied, hanging the gun on his shoulder with a strap "A lot of people are pissed at what's been happening lately, but we need to stir things up a bit before someone will do what needs to be done."

Raynor then looked at the sky for a few minutes, until he noticed a peculiar distortion in the air. As the distortion moved closer to their position, Raziel noticed it as well, and looked at him quizzically. Raynor just smiled, knowing the wraith was in for a surprise.

Suddenly, a small shuttle appeared before them, quickly deactivating its cloaking mechanism. Its golden frame was clearly of Protoss origin, but it was much smaller than the shuttles they usually deployed. Raziel was taken aback at first, but Raynor stepped forward, and a door opened on the shuttle's side. He stepped right in, gesturing at Raziel to follow. The wraith hesitated for a split second, before following him inside. They both sat on a pair of modest-looking metal seats that were secured to the floor. Raynor fastened his seat belt, and Raziel imitated his action once he understood how to work the simple mechanism. Then, the shuttle's door closed, and a few bluish lamps embedded on the walls came to life, revealing the interior. Glad to be rid of the scorching heat, the two warriors relaxed, and Raziel took the time to look around. The walls were golden as in the outside, but they were slightly padded, likely to protect the passengers from eventual turbulence. A weapon rack was set against the back wall, holding strange weapons he had never seen. Warp blades, sets of dual psi blades, gauss rifles and a portable singularity cannon were neatly aligned, ready for use.

Raziel was slightly startled when the shuttle took off, but he soon got used to it. He couldn't help remembering his torn wings, and then he felt sad at the thought of what he had lost a millennium before.

The Hyperion awaited in high orbit, hidden behind one of Korhal's moons to avoid detection. The shuttle docked in its ample hangar bay, and the odd duo stepped out into the large metallic chamber.

"Raziel, welcome to the Hyperion, the pride and glory of Raynor's Raiders, and my personal flagship."

Raziel looked around, fascinated by the magnitude of the construct.

"I did see a wreckage down there that looked a lot like this gigantic machine, but this is even bigger than I thought."

Raynor smiled, delighted at the wraith's surprise.

"Well Raziel, we're on our way to Shakuras, to meet the Protoss you've already been compared to. In the meantime, maybe we should rest."

Raziel nodded, still looking around.

"It is good to be rid of that accursed heat, and I have to admit a rest would be quite pleasant."

"I'm thinking about getting a few snacks after that. What do they eat where you're from?"

"Well… blood… and souls." Raziel replied, wondering if Raynor would be shocked at the answer. To his surprise, he just laughed a bit.

"And I thought Kerrigan was weird!" he said with a grin "Well, if you have the time, I think I'd like to hear a bit more of your story."

"Certainly." Raziel said after a moment.


	3. The Forgotten Platform

Chapter 2 – The Forgotten Platform

February 5th 2502, 3 PM  
Raynor's Raiders Command Ship Hyperion  
Deep Space

The two walked through the corridors and got in an elevator. A few moments later, Raynor opened a sturdy metal door, revealing an ample, lavishly decorated chamber, with a large oak table at the center, rich red tapestries covering the metal floor. The walls were lined with maps, astrogation charts and massive bookcases filled with leather-bound tomes, and a collection of sabers rested in a large glass case. The chamber spoke of luxury and refined taste, contrasting with Raynor's plain and spartan appearance. Upon closer inspection he noticed the overabundance of a peculiar crest in the shape of two wolf heads looking away from each other. It was on the carpets, on several tapestries that were hanging from the walls, on the large chandelier that lit the chamber.

Raziel raised an eyebrow, mentally comparing the lavish decoration with the luxury he had seen at the height of Kain's empire.

"This is one of the ship's leisure rooms." Raynor said. He then walked to the table and activated a device on its surface. A round opening appeared in the center, and a holographic projector came to life, showing the neighboring systems. The Hyperion appeared as a tiny icon near one of Korhal IV's moons, and there were also several even smaller shapes moving on the other side of the system.

"A Dominion patrol no doubt. Mengsk is as paranoid as ever." He said, pointing at them. "Come on, have a seat."

The wraith nodded and sat on one of the chairs, watching the projection with curiosity. He felt tempted to prod it with one of his claws, but he could tell the image wasn't solid, and didn't want to look like an imbecile.

"Well, last I checked, we didn't have any souls in stock." Raynor said. "But we can ask the Protoss to check you and see if they have anything you can… uh eat. They do feed by absorbing energy, I understand."

He then pointed at the Hyperion's image moving towards the edge of the system.

"This is where we are. Shakuras is all the way there." He said, moving his finger to a distant spot where Raziel saw a sphere in dark shades of blue. "But first, we have a little detour."

Raynor pointed at a small icon near another planet near Korhal.

"Someone is waiting for us in a space platform in this location. A Protoss by the name of Pharon. He's been monitoring transmissions in a small hidden base, but it looks like he's got a little problem. He's also requested a ship to take him to Shakuras so he can personally deliver a report. The trip is gonna take a while, so we have plenty of time."

"I have to admit that I never intended to write any memoirs." the wraith said in a sarcastic tone.

Raziel spent the next few hours telling his story, from his days as a vampire to the confrontation with his 'father' in the Chronoplasm chamber. Raynor was quite intrigued, and often asked interesting questions about Nosgoth's history, the remaining humans and the degenerate vampires. Talking about Kain often made the wraith slam his cloven fists on the table, but he realized that once he'd started talking, the rest kept flowing easily.

"… and that was when you appeared." the wraith finished. "I wonder what you were doing in that place."

"Well, I was meeting a contact. Like I said before, we need to stir things up a bit. That bastard Mengsk took over after the Confederacy's capital world was overrun by the Zerg. All that talk about revolution, about freeing the people from the Confederacy's grip, and then that bastard proclaimed himself Emperor and tried to grab what was left. He used us all. Even some of the people in his organization, the Sons of Korhal, aren't too happy about the way things turned out. First he was out for revenge because of the way the Confederates turned the planet into a desert, and now he became just like them. It's his damn fault the Zerg are all over the place too. The Queen Bitch of the Universe… Kerrigan… Well, first he had us secure a position in the orbital platforms around Tarsonis. And then he lured the Zerg there by the billions with psi emitters. As if that wasn't enough, when the Protoss showed up to toast the Zerg, he had Kerrigan go down there and take 'em on just to keep the Confederates from escaping. The son of a bitch abandoned her there to die, and then the Zerg caught her and she ended up being turned into a psycho bitch."

"I see. It seems that you too have a personal vendetta." Raziel said with a nod.

"By the way, what happened to that Soul Reaver you mentioned?"

"It appears that I am able to maintain it in a dormant state until it is needed. Strange. It is as if I had suddenly learned how to do it for no reason."

Raziel placed his right hand on the table and the Reaver emerged with a low hum. The blue energy blade intertwined with his arm amazed Raynor with its eerie radiance.

"Hmmmm… The Protoss use weapons that look a lot like that thing. But the ones they have need a power source. Yours looks like a natural extension."

"It is suspicious, to say the least. Now that I think about it, Kain did have a strange expression when the blade shattered. Perhaps this is just another game he is playing."

Suddenly, the door opened again and a figure in a slim blue armored suit walked in. Raziel recognized the model, since it was similar to the one worn by Raynor's contact. The helmet, however, was rather odd, with glowing green circular visors over the eyes and tubes around the neck. The figure inhaled and exhaled loudly a couple of times before removing the helmet, revealing Rowena's face.

"Just thought I'd let you know that we've arrived." she said, turning to Raynor. She then looked at Raziel with an intrigued expression.

"Thanks. I'd lost track of time. Rowena, this is Raziel. He'll be traveling with us for a while."

The wraith just looked at her for a while, unsure of how the humans in this place greeted one another. She understood what was going on and shook his hand, trying not to get her fingers too close to the Reaver. Raziel just stared at her and dismissed the blade.

"Welcome aboard." she said. "If you have any questions or there's anything you need, let me know."

"So, what's going on down there?" Raynor asked.

"Well, it looks like there's a bit of an infestation down there. We've picked up a small Zerg hive cluster on the far end of the platform. Pharon is online. I'll have the transmission patched through."

With the push of a button, the image on the holographic projector was replaced by that of a young-looking Protoss with a slightly bluish light gray skin and glowing blue eyes, wearing a golden suit of armor. Raziel stared at the creature for a few moments, understanding why he had been mistaken for one of their race.

"En Taro Tassadar, Jim Raynor. It is good to see you again." The Protoss said.

"You look tired, Pharon. Been up all night swatting those goddamn Zerg cockroaches?" Raynor replied.

"It would appear that they have not detected this base yet, but if they are allowed to expand, then we will be in trouble. As you know, this is merely a listening post. Calling the Fleet would take a while, and its presence in this area would draw unwanted attention. Especially in this case. This brood is small, but we believe there is a Cerebrate in the area."

"Kerrigan's lackeys?" Rowena asked.

"It is possible." Pharon replied. "Which means that unless we can dispose of it swiftly and discreetly, more of her forces might move into the area."

"Too bad there's not a single Dark Templar aboard right now." Raynor said. "That thing will just regenerate if we hit it with normal weapons."

"How is that possible?" Raziel asked.

"We're still not entirely sure how they do it, but it looks like the only thing that can permanently kill those things is Dark Templar energy." Rowena said.

Raziel looked at his hand and summoned the Reaver.

"Perhaps this will be of use. I do not think any creature will be able to regenerate itself after having its soul torn out and consumed."

"A soul-devouring spirit, right?" Raynor said, recalling Raziel's tale. "Well, it's worth a shot. I've also been experimenting with the crystals the Protoss use, but all I've managed to do so far is improve a few of my handheld weapons."

"Standard operating procedure?" Rowena asked.

"Yeah." Raynor replied. "Keep the ship ready, in case something unexpected happens down there. We're taking a shuttle."

Rowena nodded and Raynor led Raziel back to the Hyperion's hangar, where they boarded the same shuttle again. A few minutes later, they were landing near the small Protoss outpost. Raziel took a few moments to look at the strange architecture of the building, and the crystalline blue pylons powering the outpost's defenses caught his eye.

"What exactly are those strange things?" he asked Raynor.

"Those are pylons. The Protoss power their buildings with them. Those things you see built around each of them are photon cannons. They fire energy bolts at any hostile targets that come into range."

Raziel took a few steps towards one of the pylons, and then he felt something strange. There was a slight tingling at the edge of his mind, and then for a moment, the sensation extended to his right arm. Before he had the time to ponder this, Pharon stepped out of what appeared to be the main building, followed by two zealots, also wearing golden armor.

"Welcome to Outpost 15." Pharon said. "We have learned a lot from Terran tactics over the last few months, and these listening posts are quite convenient. When it comes to gathering information on other races, their transmissions can be quite enlightening."

"You catch on pretty quickly." Raynor replied. "Well, time to flush out some bugs." He then activated his armor's communicator.

"All right Rowena, we're going in. I'm gonna need my Vulture for this."

"Understood." her voice replied.

A few moments later, Rowena's modified Valkyrie came down and dropped Raynor's Vulture with a parachute.

"Give 'em hell!" she said over the communicator. "I'll keep the Yamato gun charged up in case things get ugly."

"Oh they will… for them." Raynor thought as he waited for the Vulture to land. As soon as it touched the ground, he detached the parachute and got on.

Raziel looked at him and then at Pharon. The Protoss didn't seem to find his appearance strange, so he stepped closer to see if they made any remark.

"I do not recall seeing you during Raynor's last visit." Pharon said. "Were you transferred here recently?"

"I suppose one could say that." Raziel hesitantly replied.

"There is something odd about you though. Which part of Shakuras are you from?"

"Actually, this is going to be my first visit to that place. I am not exactly one of the Protoss."

"I thought it was odd that you would have claws… and some things about you look almost human…"

"It is a long story. And it involves time traveling, the supernatural and a lot of anger." Raziel replied. "But since I am apparently so similar to the Protoss, perhaps I can learn a few things while I am here."

"I have the feeling that you are about to make this day much more interesting…" Pharon said.

"Perhaps. I am still getting used to the thought of being in a colossal metallic structure hundreds of miles above the surface."

"Ah yes… No matter how many times one does this, it always feels a little odd. And the fact that nearly every space platform has its own artificial atmosphere can only do so much to ease that feeling."

Raynor started the Vulture's engine, and the two zealots ran to his sides.

"Think you can keep up?" he asked with a smile.

"Always." one of the zealots eagerly replied.

"All right boys, let's kick ass!" Raynor said as the Vulture sprang to life, darting at a maddening speed. The two zealots did their best to keep up, running at a speed that would put some racing pilots to shame.

"Well, time to go." Pharon said, running after them. Raziel followed, going almost as fast as the zealots.

Around twenty minutes later, Raynor stopped. The first signs of Zerg presence were already evident, with a large area of the ground before him covered by a putrid biological mass. The zealots stopped as well, and Pharon and Raziel soon caught up with them.

"Ugly things, don't you think?" Raynor said to Raziel, pointing at a couple of zerglings in the distance.

Raziel nodded, remembering his brother Zephon's hideous insect form and his deranged wall climbing spawn.

Raynor grabbed his gauss rifle and pointed it forward, holding it with his right hand while the left still gripped the Vulture's controls.

"There's something smelly in the neighborhood… Who're you gonna call?" he muttered, right before driving over the creep at a few hundred miles per hour, running over the two zerglings before they knew what hit them. The others followed as Raynor shot a few incoming hydralisks with his gauss rifle and ran over a drone. The zealots activated their psi blades and grappled with a few more hydralisks, cutting through them with a wild fury. Pharon noticed a group of zerglings heading towards him and decided to toy with them a bit before finishing them off. In a second, he seemed to be in twenty places at the same time. The hallucinatory replicas confused the creatures, and they threw themselves against them only to go right through and fall down. At the same time, the real Pharon activated a psi blade that was as long as the Dark Templar's warp blades, and sliced a few zerglings in half before blasting another into a bloody pulp with a psychic attack.

"Impressive." Raziel said. "But I did not come here to watch."

With a tremendous leap worthy of Kain himself, he clenched his cloven fists and punched right through a hydralisk's face, knocking the creature flying. A vicious kick, and the beast's neck snapped. At the same time, the two zealots were chasing a few zerglings.

Raynor watched Raziel's performance as he drove around, turning more Zerg into blood splats. "Not bad…" he thought. He then turned his attention to a creep colony. He pushed a button in his Vulture's control panel, and a fragmentation bomb was fired though a small opening, exploding against the organic structure and tearing through it, opening several wounds that started bleeding abundantly.

"Living buildings?" Raziel thought as he looked at the scene. "These creatures are truly unlike anything I have ever seen…"

Pharon made short work of a nearby spawning pool, driving his energy blade into it until the organic walls were bleeding dry.

They kept going, making their way to the center of the hive cluster, when they suddenly heard a loud roar. The two zealots had just finished off a few more zerglings when an ultralisk charged towards them. They barely had time to dodge, narrowly avoiding the creature's sharp tusks. Before the beast could try again, Raziel jumped in front of it and grabbed it by the tusks. Using his vampiric strength, he was able to lift it by the tusks and throw it around. The surprised ultralisk ended up hitting the hive, the impact knocking it unconscious.

The two zealots just stared at him for a few seconds, unable to believe what they had just seen. Once they regained their composure, they attacked a nearby sunken colony. Raziel joined them, severing the massive tentacle once it came out of the ground to strike at them. They made short work of the structure while Raynor went on a killing spree, riddling a few drones and hydralisks with bullets. Pharon made his way deeper into the hive cluster, sensing psionic activity when he found a very large throbbing mass with a filthy stench.

"Cerebrate… You shall not live another day!" he said, staring at it.

"So that's where that ugly thing is!" Raynor said, running over a few drones. "Raziel, your turn!"

The blue wraith ran after them, followed by the zealots.

"So this is the creature you mentioned before? It is difficult to believe that something so hideous would cause so much trouble." he said. He could sense the creature's psychic hold on the entire hive cluster, like an insidious puppeteer.

"They have this nasty habit of regenerating. Let's see what you can do." Raynor replied.

Without waiting another moment, Raziel leapt towards the pulsating mass and started tearing at it with his claws, opening hideous wounds. A few seconds later, it burst in a shower of blood, but as soon as Raziel stepped away, it started growing again.

"You certainly were not exaggerating…" Raziel said as the mass quickly regained its original size. "Very well… let us see if it can do that again."

The wraith summoned the Reaver and started driving it into the cerebrate. Once it was all the way in, he tore through the creature with a rising slice. He then continued his vicious assault, and with each blow he delivered, he could feel a disruption in the psychic emanations. Soon, the cerebrate was covered in horrible wounds, and the psionic activity reached almost undetectable levels. The Reaver's energies seemed to have been too much for it to handle, and now it looked as though the ravenous spirit had dealt irreparable damage.

"Looks like you rendered that thing comatose." Raynor said. "I've never seen anyone do it like that."

"I am not done yet." Raziel replied with an altered voice. The Reaver seemed to be building up energy for a second, and then he delivered a mighty blow, cleaving through the bloody carcass. It was then that he saw something seeping out of the creature. Something black, almost offensive to his senses, something vile and filthy. The creature's soul was finally torn out. He stared at it for a moment, while the others wondered what he was doing.

"Uh… Raziel?" Raynor said.

"Can you not see it?" Raziel asked, reaching for his cowl.

The sight of the alien soul had reminded Raziel of the darker craving that had replaced his thirst for blood. And even though the soul before him appeared revolting, he could not resist the impulse. Pulling his cowl, he revealed his mouth, with the vampire fangs and the missing lower jaw with the gaping hole in his throat. Raynor stared at him, touching his own lower jaw in shock as he beheld the mutilation. The Protoss were just as startled as they watched.

"Your soul is forfeit." Raziel said as he started drawing it in with an irresistible pull. His eyes seemed to glow for a moment as the soul entered the gaping hole, and then he was still. He felt the usual rush he had experienced while devouring a soul, but this time, it was different, warped. Suddenly he started feeling something stirring in his mind, so intensely it was actually painful. He felt as if he was looking at the putrescence of the Zerg from the inside.

"What is this?" he asked with a groan, clutching his head in shock. He had experienced some bizarre sensations when he had consumed the souls of his degenerate brothers, but this was different. The being he had just consumed was even stranger, utterly alien, viciously warped. He could suddenly see through eyes that were not his own. He could see through the eyes of the remaining Zerg in the platform, which were now catatonic and motionless. He could see a blasted, scorched landscape, inhabited by massive droves of the same beasts he had just encountered. He could see more of their vile living buildings, disgusting flying creatures, and more of their horde, covering the ground and spreading their carpet of putrefaction along with their corruption, leaving more and more of their offspring and countless deaths in their wake. It was then that he felt it. A pair of eyes, staring right at him. He felt he was touching another mind, powerful and warped. A mind that felt almost human in a way, but twisted beyond recognition.

And then, he felt tired, exhausted from the mental strain, and he collapsed. The two zealots moved closer, still in shock from what they had seen and from the psionic disturbance he had unleashed in that altered state.

"Raziel?" Raynor called.

"He seems to be unconscious." one of the zealots said.

Raynor activated his communicator.

"Rowena, we're done here. The Zerg won't be threatening this outpost anytime soon… We're going to need a couple of medics though."

"Are you all right?" her voice asked with concern.

"Just fine… But I don't know if I can say the same about our blue friend."


	4. Spires of Shakuras

Chapter 3 – Spires of Shakuras

February 5th 2502, 8 PM  
Raynor's Raiders Command Ship Hyperion  
En Route to Shakuras

Raziel drifted in and out of consciousness, his mind straining to handle the strange and overwhelming sensations that kept pouring in. Due to his unique physiology, there was little anyone could do but wait and watch. He felt as if his mind was in countless places at the same time, touching billions of beings. It took all the will he could muster to break free. He suddenly sat up, startling the medics that had been monitoring his condition, and found himself in the Hyperion's medical facilities.

"What happened down there?" Raynor asked. "I've never seen anything like it."

Raziel turned to him.

"I have no idea. I had never imagined a being such as me could still get headaches." He replied, still showing signs of weariness.

"Did you see anything while you were in that state?" Pharon asked.

"More of those wretched creatures. Countless hordes, scattered across many worlds. I could see through their eyes, and I heard strange thoughts all around me."

Pharon was silent for a moment.

"Could it be?" he thought. "Could this one be in tune with those energies as well?"

Raziel jumped off the padded metal bed and stretched his arms for a second.

"I take it we succeeded then?" he asked Raynor.

"Couldn't have been easier. And now we're almost there."

Raynor led them to the navigation room, where they saw a holographic projection of a strange bluish world in perpetual twilight. A small fleet of Corsairs and Scouts moved aside at their arrival, as if already expecting them. After a few more minutes of descent, the Hyperion touched the ground.

"And here we are." Raynor said. "Don't worry, Raziel, you'll fit right in."

As one of the Hyperion's massive airlocks opened, Raziel beheld a bizarre new world. The ground beneath his feet seemed to be made of blue and golden metal, along with the rest of the structure they had landed in. Through its large windows, he could see blue soil as far as the horizon, dotted with tall black structures that seemed to blend in with the landscape and strange machines, both in the ground and in the air. He was so intrigued by what was before his eyes that he failed to notice another tall young Protoss with the same grey skin, glowing golden eyes and slightly fishlike features enter the chamber.

"As you humans say, those who are alive, eventually show up." Artanis said. "I imagine the Dominion is going to have a lot of problems to deal with, considering the time you have spent sneaking into their territory."

"It doesn't take a lot of effort to make things hard on that paranoid old bastard. I still enjoy it more than ever, and you wouldn't believe how many people in his own government are sick of him. But look at you! Hierarch of Shakuras! You've come a long way since Aiur. I thought you'd be more comfortable in the front lines instead of leading everyone."

"I have to admit that this position has given me some more confidence, though it will probably age me prematurely. But who am I to complain? Someone has to take care of things while Zeratul is away."

"Still no news on that old rascal?" Raynor asked.

"Nothing. Either he is still blaming himself for that incident with the Matriarch, or there is something else lurking beyond what we can see. Either way, he remains unaccounted for."

Pharon stepped forward, carrying what appeared to be a data storage device.

"Hierarch, I have come personally to deliver this report, due to the gravity of the situation."

"Ah, Templar Pharon, you are always fulfilling your duties with such eagerness. Let us hear that report, which made you come all the way here."

Artanis motioned at them to follow, and led them through a series of corridors. Raziel could feel that they were not alone. As he looked around, he had the feeling he was being watched, and he could even tell where those unseen eyes were. He counted two presences standing by every single door, and though it made him slightly nervous for some reason, he saw that the others were moving in a perfectly natural and relaxed way, so he assumed they knew something about it. He took a moment to observe Artanis and Pharon, noticing that their every gesture seemed pondered, their every step perfectly measured.

They eventually reached a larger door, which led to an ample chamber with a large round table and several high technology devices laden with glowing crystals. Several holographic projectors were connected to them, displaying long strings of text alternating with images from several different worlds and a few transmissions from scouting parties.

Artanis and the others sat down at the table. Pharon shifted around the chair for a moment, betraying a certain discomfort at what he was about to say.

"We have a problem. It may not seem very significant at the moment, but it could become a threat unless we act soon enough. According to the transmissions we have intercepted at that listening post, not only is the Dominion consolidating its position and rebuilding after the Directorate invasion and its aftermath, but they are also turning to less conventional methods. Recently, a small fleet was sent to the outskirts of the Omega platform. Besides the fact that it was already strange that they were not obliterated by the Zerg on sight, I believe their mission was to plunder the wreckage of our taskforce that was unfortunately defeated there."

"So they're turning to technology theft again?" Raynor said. "I thought we'd taken care of that after that thing on Aiur."

"There is more." Pharon said. "They also seem to have taken an interest in induced mutations and psionics. After they took over the Confederacy's Ghost program, there have been several reports of people with psionic potential suddenly disappearing. I believe they are restoring that program completely, and perhaps even going farther than their predecessors. We have also intercepted a coded transmission that indicated the Dominion is moving a lot of vespene gas and other mutagens to a still unknown location."

"Can't say I'm surprised." Raynor said. "That son of a bitch always uses everything he can grab, no matter how immoral. We're talking about the guy who lured the Zerg into two worlds just to get rid of his enemies."

"And finally, that prototype decoder we were testing at the listening post turned out to be a failure. At the moment, it is still impossible to decode Zerg transmissions. It is my recommendation that we look for a way to tap into their telepathic network, since it would be a waste of time and effort to keep scanning the frequencies we are currently able to access."

"I see. Thank you for your report, Pharon." Artanis said. "And do not worry too much about the decoder. I know how much you want to help, but certain things just take time. Remember, it took nearly five hundred years to correct all the design flaws in the first Carrier model's power core. I believe that at one point they even considered abandoning the project."

Pharon nodded, mentally reviewing his plans and trying to figure out how to get around yet another obstacle. Artanis looked at Raziel for a while, intrigued by the being's odd appearance and the unusual psionic aura he projected.

"Some Dark Templar eagerly joined Raynor's group, and word of their deeds has reached us. I do not recognize this one however. Are you a recent addition?"

"Yes, I have been told I could easily impersonate one of your people." Raziel replied. "And I do believe there were some of them in that corridor, watching our every move."

"Impressive…" Artanis said. "Sometimes even I have trouble keeping track of all the Dark Templar guards. "But what should I call you?"

"I am Raziel. I believe that some would call me a wraith, though like everything else about me, that definition is debatable."

"I ran into him on Korhal when I was meeting a contact there." Raynor said. "You wouldn't believe some of the things he can do. I gave our Dark Templar the week off so they could attend some religious festivity, and when we got to the platform to pick up Pharon we ran into some Zerg. It turns out that our buddy here can kill Cerebrates, and even eat them for breakfast."

Artanis was shocked at what he had just heard.

"Are you saying that he can wield the Void?"

"As well as any of them. Or at least something very smiliar. He's a natural Zerg exterminator."

"Intriguing…" Artanis said, before turning to Raziel. "I would like to know more about you. You have displayed bravery and skill, and we are still trying to make sure the Zerg will not threaten our people again. Would you be interested in helping us?"

"I have no idea how I found myself on Korhal, and all of this is still new to me." Raziel replied. "My primary concern is revenge, and therefore I do not know how long I will stay. However, I have seen firsthand what happens to a world when it has been tainted, corrupted and warped by dark forces. Though I do not know much about your people, I will do what I can to make sure it does not happen again."

Artanis got up from his chair, staring at the wraith.

"You have our thanks, Raziel. I welcome you to Shakuras. You will probably find this place quite interesting."

Meanwhile, on Korhal…

Kain was not pleased. Much to his surprise, Raziel did not seem to be following his trail. The ancient vampire could no longer sense his presence, and he felt that something was amiss. He had seen the wraith boarding the strange flying machine, and since then he had no idea where he could be. Therefore, he decided to do what seemed logical to him. Sneaking into a troop carrier in mist form, he had made his way into the vast city of Augustgrad. The sprawling metropolis was lavishly decorated with marble architecture. Statues were on practically every corner, along with flags of the Sons of Korhal. On the walls and on large screens set on the sides of the towering buildings, propaganda glorifying the Dominion and vilifying Jim Raynor and his Raiders was constantly being displayed. Guards in bulky powered armor patrolled the streets as countless craft moved on the roads and through the air.

"This is like Meridian all over again…" he thought with disgust. Even though his vulnerability to sunlight was not as extreme as that of his degenerate vampiric offspring, he still felt a great discomfort. For a moment, he wondered how the humans could stand the scorching, suffocating heat.

Probing the weak minds of the humans he ran into, he eventually found out where he wanted to go. A few minutes later, he found himself in front of a large fortified palace, surrounded by guards and filled with gun emplacements. The rooftops were filled with snipers and though the structure was surrounded by sturdy, thick concrete walls, there was an additional layer of sandbags and razor wire around them.

"The air reeks of paranoia." Kain thought. "Perhaps I can use that."

Sneaking into the palace undetected, he skimmed through the corridors and made his way to the throne room.


	5. Wielder of Twilight

Chapter 4 – Wielder of Twilight

The following morning, Raynor stepped out of his quarters in the Citadel of the Executor. Though the Hyperion was like a home to him, he enjoyed the feeling of resting upon solid ground, something he'd had a reduced number of opportunities to do since the events that had culminated in the destruction of Mar Sara. As he walked by the two Protoss guards that were standing by the door, he sighed and shook his head.

"These guys take everything too seriously." he thought. "Honestly, who'd be able to sneak all the way here?"

He stopped for a moment and considered telling the two to take a rest, but he knew they would probably be offended or feel he wasn't satisfied with their service. With another sigh, he walked towards the quarters Artanis had offered the blue wraith. To his surprise, Raziel was sitting on an elaborate stone bed with his eyes closed, showing little regard for the soft mattress. The room was ornamented with a few crystal sculptures and a small fountain with a carved stone basin was embedded on one of the walls, and a floating crystal sphere was hovering above Raziel's head, giving off a dim light.

"Huh... What are you doing?" he asked.

Raziel slowly opened his eyes.

"I do not even know if I am capable of sleep. The Reaver will sustain me until I am able to feed again, but there is little for me to do in order to pass the time at a place like this."

"I guess Artanis wanted to be polite and let us rest a bit. He's probably planning something though, considering your abilities. You won't need to worry. Nobody here would think of making you do something against your will. I doubt they could anyway."

"What will happen now?" the wraith asked.

"He's probably going to show you around and tell you a few things about their general history, to help you get your bearings. If Zeratul was here, he'd probably introduce you to him, but either way, he'll probably bring in a Dark Templar trainer or two so they can gauge your skill or something. I'm not sure how that whole Templar thing works. I mean, I know the High Templar and Dark Templar wield different energies, and that there was a huge scuffle back on Aiur a few centuries ago, but I think it's a bit of a religious thing to them."

Shortly afterwards, Artanis stepped into the chamber.

"I trust you have rested well." he politely said.

"I spent most of the time oberving the crystals, but I suppose you could say that." Raziel replied.

"Good. I believe it is time for a bit of a history lesson. I hope that by understanding our ways, you will feel like one of us."

Raziel reflected upon those words. He had been all by himself for an entire millenium, and was no longer used to the company of others. Still, he thought, he might as well make the most of his stay. The Protoss and the odd resemblance between his abilities and theirs had manage to arouse his curiosity. Putting his thoughts of vengeance against Kain aside for a few hours, he looked around as Artanis guided him out of the building and through ample streets, going over the entire Protoss history and explaining the functions of each structure along the way. Though elegant, he noticed that the architecture of some areas was more sober, with less ornaments. Artanis explained that the Dark Templar favored function over form, and then gave him an account of the recent conflicts that had made it necessary to reconstruct several cities.

Meanwhile, on Korhal...

As his keen senses picked up the sound of human voices, Kain made his way to a large door, guarded by two soldiers. Still unseen, he shifted through it in his mist form and came upon an interesting scene.

Arcturus Mengsk the First, self crowned Emperor of the Terran Dominion, had considerable power at his disposal, and the fate of millions of lives in his hands. Ever since Kerrigan's betrayal, he had grown increasingly suspicious of those around him, bordering on paranoia. He was struggling to maintain a neutral expression at the reports of not one, but two unidentified creatures moving about in his homeworld. Two beings he could not control, two potential threats.

"We cannot afford to let these intruders slip by again." he said in an icy tone. "Any being that can take down a contingent of fully armed and equipped soldiers and disappear without a trace is a danger that cannot be underestimated."

"We don't have the manpower to conduct a planetwide sweep." one of the generals said. "And if we're dealing with Dark Templar assassins, they're probably gone by now."

"But if they are still here, they must not escape. I want to know who and what they are. I want to know what they're doing here, and how they managed to kill so many Dominion personnel so easily. I want them caught and interrogated."

"You are most welcome to try..." Kain thought as he maneuvered closer, intently processing every detail of the scene.

"This could well be the prelude to a Protoss invasion." Mengsk continued. "We need to get them out of the way once and for all. This sector belongs to humanity, not those psychic fish faced freaks. I want every inch of the planet searched. Intensify the research on their technology, and double the guards on the palace and the spaceports."

The generals silently nodded, shivering slightly at the steel in his glare.

"Now... What's the next order of business?"

"Well, your Majesty..." one of the generals said. "There is this unsightly matter regarding the behavior of a certain young man... Your heir keeps evading security and going on unauthorized expeditions to insecure dig sites. We suspect he may even have attempted to hire known criminal organizations to assist him."

"Still playing games behind my back, is he? Well, he will learn... Anything else?"

"They botched up yet another attempt at fitting a Protoss star drive on one of our experimental ships..." another general said. "The device was improperly calibrated and the ship went out of control. We'll be scraping burnt flesh from every corner of the base for months."

"Captured technology doesn't grow on trees, and each of those accidents sets us back by years. Tell them to clean up the mess and get their act together. We are running out of parts and can't spare the forces for an acquisition run right now."

"Quite the arrogant sort..." Kain thought. "This should prove amusing."

With a plan already forming in his cunning mind, Kain patiently waited until Mengsk dismissed his generals. He considered giving the whole thing a more dramatic air, but he had little time to waste toying with mortals more than strictly necessary. Instead, he slowly and silently approached him.

"It would seem that you have a bit of a problem in your hands... Emperor." he said in a slow, pondered tone that nonetheless left Mengsk quite startled.

"Who's there?!" Mengsk asked, suddenly turning around and looking at every corner of the room. Kain enjoyed watching this moment of pure terror, but then revealed himself before the so-called Emperor started making too much of a ruckus.

"I am Kain. An emperor of sorts, such as yourself." he replied with an inhuman calm.

"What the hell are you?! And how did you get in here?!"

"I have my ways. Not that I needed to put much of an effort into it."

Kain was doing his best not to seem threatening, though his appearance made it more difficult. Still, such precautions were unnecessary, for Mengsk's typical arrogance soon surfaced once again.

"You're one of those things that have been going around killing my men, aren't you? Give me one good reason not to call the guards right this instant."

"Well, there is the matter of the other being... You could say is somewhat like me, though inexperienced and single-minded, but has the potential to wreak much more havoc. For you see, he is, for all intents and purposes, indestructible. Even if you were able to destroy his physical form, he would instantly reconstruct himself and proceed to tear into your forces. From where I stand, it seems that you need me."

"So it seems... But what are you?"

"I am not sure if you would believe it, and either way, you are wasting time. I no longer sense Raziel's presence, which could mean he is no longer in this world. Perhaps he ran into one of your enemies. You do not want such a being siding with them, do you?"

Kain found himself playing a tune by ear, talking about things he didn't know much about, but given the paranoid appearance and the unease of this so-called Emperor, the vampire had him dancing to it, reacting exactly as he had hoped. After a couple of hours using his powers of persuasion, he managed to convince Mengsk that he would help deliver Raziel right into his hands. However, Mengsk was far from completely trusting him, and decided to send a small commando unit with him, more to keep an eye on the vampire than to actually provide assistance, since Kain had made sure to inform him of the wraith's terrifying powers. One might say that he was proud of the unstoppable agent of destruction he had unleashed.

Meanwhile, on Shakuras...

"As you grow to understand our ways, so will you learn to better command the powers you wield." Pharon said. "The Protoss have two different belief systems. The Khala, followed by the Protoss of Aiur, emphasizes restraint and unity. It is used to keep our immense psionic powers in check, so they do not go out of control. Though you are not a Protoss, your psionic abilities should suffice to enable you to use some of the lesser High Templar abilities. The Dark Templar were exiled for refusing this unity, and have learned to harness the power of the void. They are more independent, and tap into more volatile and chaotic energies. They believe they are fulfilling the true potential of the Protoss, unbound by the Khala."

"They were exiled?" Raziel asked.

"Yes. When the Xel'Naga left Aiur, our people plunged into a long dark age called the Aeon of Strife. One of us, now known as Khas, created the Khala as the means to unify the tribes by restoring our collective psychic link. Some, however, rejected those teachings. The Dark Templar are the descendants of those who were exiled for their defiance. Some of them still harbor old hatreds towards the Protoss of Aiur, causing no end of tension even as we speak."

"Yet they now stand together..." Raziel said.

"They had no choice." Pharon replied. "Aiur was ravaged by the Zerg. Most of the Protoss race has been wiped out. Zeratul led the survivors to Shakuras through an old warp gate."

"Perhaps there is yet hope. They have not killed each other off just yet."

"No, but they were close at one point. Aldaris, one of the members of the old Conclave that ruled Aiur, was never exactly thrilled to live among the so-called heretics. When he discovered that the Matriarch, Raszagal, was under Kerrigan's control, he led an uprising against her instead of informing the other remaining leaders. Most unfortunate. Lives were needlessly lost, and the Matriarch's condition was only discovered much later."

Raziel stood silently for a moment, watching a High Templar and Dark Templar sparring in the distance. Pharon noticed his interest.

"Tassadar was the first to combine the teachings, to harness light and darkness in unison. Many of us strive to follow his example."

"Ultimately, you seem to shape your power according to what you believe in." Raziel said. "But what would that be? What is it that drives you?"

"The Khala is about harmonious unity. It is about putting pride and excessive individualism aside for the greater good. It is about restraint, about keeping one's power in check and only using it when necessary. One could say that the Protoss are mighty beasts, psionically speaking. The power of our minds is like a raging storm, and there lies the potential for great harm. The Dark Templar believe in survival at any cost and do not restrain their powers, relying on the void to enhance their natural abilities. Their persecution and exile made them value stealth and cunning, making them deadly combatants. In certain ways, they are more creative, adept at unorthodox methods."

"It would seem that my strange transformation has somehow attuned me to the energies they wield."

"Yes. Your psionic potential is vast, and the powers you already possess are but a small sample of what you could achieve. I sense that there are some barriers that are keeping you from unleashing your true strength, but these can be overcome with experience."

"I can think of no better time than this to seize this opportunity."

On Shakuras, Raziel found a home. In order to keep himself busy before his inevitable confrontation with Kain, he eagerly started dabbling in the Templar arts. As he developed his psionic abilities, he realized that interacting with Protoss technology was quite simple, as if he had been born with the knowledge. Four months passed without a single incident, and Raziel gained a certain fame among the Dark Templar due to his dueling skill and the Reaver. He was formally accepted as a Dark Templar after successfully completing his Shadow Walk, baffling the Dark Templar who were testing him as he slipped through the shadows as if he had been born to do so.

One day, as he explored Shakuras on a borrowed Corsair, he felt a strange tingling in the back of his mind. Suddenly his surroundings vanished, replaced by a bleak and charred wasteland. He saw an enedless horde of Zerg, apparently gathering for some sinister purpose. He heard warped voices in his mind, and suddenly he knew where those creatures were heading. He swiftly turned the ship around and rushed to a large towering building decorated with banners of the Protoss tribes.

After a few moments navigating its ample corridors, he reached a large, pristine chamber, decorated with statues of Protoss heroes. Effigies of Adun, Fenix, Tassadar and others stood side by side, and he remembered hearing rumors about a statue of Raynor being in the works, though it was meant to be a surprise. Two representatives of each of the Protoss castes were sitting on crystal thrones in a semicircle, and facing them, at an elevated seat, was Artanis, who had reluctantly been appointed Hierarch after Zeratul's disappearance. They seemed to be discussing something, but went silent as soon as Raziel approached.

"The Zerg are on the move." the wraith said. "They are planning to seize the moons of Shakuras in the cover of an ion storm."

"What? How did you come across this information?" One of the council members asked.

Some of the other council members stared at the wraith, barely concelaling their distrust towards such a bizarre creature. A few of the Dark Templar, however, simply watched with a degree of curiosity. Artanis stepped down from his seat and approached Raziel.

"I need to have a word with you in private." he said, gesturing at the wraith to follow.

Artanis led Raziel to a small chamber nearby and locked the door.

"Raziel, does this have anything to do with that incident on the platform?" he asked.

"Yes. Ever since I devoured that Cerebrate's soul, I have been hearing their thoughts in my head. They still do not know what happened on the platform, but they are frightened. They were discussing orders from someone... some... queen, I believe. Apparently she thinks it unwise not to have a fortified position hidden close to Shakuras."

"I see... Though I would advise you to keep that ability secret for the time being, I do appreciate the information. Would you like to join me in dealing with the invasion attempt?"

"Certainly."

As they made their way out of the building, they ran into one of the council members, the same who had asked how Raziel had come across the information he had presented. Raziel was more interested in moving out than making casual conversation, but the Protoss approached them, clearly intent on saying something.

"You are the one called Raziel, yes? I am Judicator Telorus."

"You are a member of the council, if I am not mistaken..." Raziel replied.

"Yes. Keeping our race united in these dire times is quite a taxing undertaking. But I would not be so rude as to treat a guest with suspicion. If there is anything I can do for you, say the word, and it shall be taken care of."


	6. New Developments

Chapter 5 – New Developments

June 7th 2502, 8 AM

Shakuras

In their prime, each Protoss fleets had numbered five hundred ships and a hundred thousand Protoss, in a total of thirty fleets. However, their numbers had been severely reduced by several devastating losses. The short Protoss civil war, the Battle of Aiur and the confrontation at the Omega platform had taken a heavy toll. Now, the Protoss were down to a Grand Fleet under the Executor's direct command, of the size of one of the old fleets, and a handful of several, smaller Strike Fleets, each numbering up to three thousand Protoss, half of them new recruits. In terms of ships, each had a hundred fighters, five capital ships and twenty five support craft. The enthusiastic recruits, eager to do battle with the Zerg and reclaim their homeworld, had increased their training tenfold, and drove themselves to extremes to perfect their fighting techniques, which sometimes caused Artanis to intervene to keep them from hurting themselves.

Now, one of the Strike Fleets was stationed in orbit around Shakuras, awaiting the order to lay waste to the Zerg. While Raynor was busy with repairs to the Hyperion's systems, Artanis led Raziel to a massive hangar where a transport ship awaited. Raziel noticed the golden domed structure, slightly different from the hangar in which the Hyperion had landed. To the sides, he saw several odd arrays, with long appendages ending in mirror-like panels, arranged in a semicircle. From what he had learned during his stay, he suspected that they were involved in the warping of Protoss ships directly to their stargates.

Raziel sensed a presence and stepped forward. A young female Protoss clad in battle armor marked with the symbol of the Templar caste appeared at the ship's entryway and looked at him.

"Remarkable senses. I did not expect you to sense me so easily."

"Who are you?" he asked, surprised to see a female Protoss for the first time.

"I am Selendis, Executor and assistant to the Hierarch. You must be Raziel. I have heard much about you."

"Is the Fleet ready for action?" Artanis asked.

"Yes, Hierarch. They merely await our arrival."

"Then let us make haste."

Selendis nodded, but paused for a moment to look at Raziel one more time.

"I look forward to seeing you fight." she said.

"Good luck, Executor." Artanis said. "I will be monitoring the operation from the war room."

Selendis led Raziel into the ship and took the pilot's seat. As the wraith observed the female Protoss with curiosity, she fired up the ship's engines and piloted it flawlessly into orbit. Raziel saw a few of the latest model of Protoss carriers, with sleeker lines and a more functional design. The wraith had heard Artanis going over the schematics with a few Khalai artificers, complaining about the old carriers' expensive construction and excessive decoration. The current situation called for ships that could easily be produced in large quantities.

"That" Selendis said, pointing at one of the carriers "is the Hand of Tassadar."

Despite the four months surrounded by Protoss technology, Raziel was still impressed. A single of those ships would have been enough to crush most armies in the history of Nosgoth, yet despite the new, more functional look, they were still beautiful to behold. Raziel had also secretly developed a taste for flying, having even gone on a few training runs with a squadron of recruits. The Protoss corsair ships in particular had left a lasting impression.

"It is beautiful..." he said after a moment. "Is that your ship?"

"Yes. A gift from the Hierarch when I became the new Executor."

For the first time since his arrival, Raziel wondered how his existence could be if he was unable to return to Nosgoth. Fighting the Zerg by the Protoss' side was a worthy pursuit, and he was eager to see Selendis in action. He had begun to wonder if the Protoss were hermaphrodites, since during his stay he had not seen a single female until this point.

"I am not yet completely familiar with your tactics." Raziel admitted. "Will this be a ground assault?"

"We shall see. We will try to destroy what we can from orbit, but if we run into a cerebrate, we will have to land."

June 7th 2502, 12 AM

Magus Asteroid Belt, Crono Star System

The inconspicuous dropship moved slowly towards a predetermined meeting point. Frustrated by the long wait, Kain stared out into space. His new brown uniform felt too tight in some places and he resisted the urge to scratch himself. The General insignias looked rather bland to his taste, with too much golden, and he thought the design of the Dominion's imperial eagle on the shoulders was dull and unimaginative.

"Clearly that man has no sense of ridicule." he thought as he scratched his chin with one of his claws. They had even given him brown leather gloves tailored to fit his cloven hands. While he found the entire uniform ridiculous, he had decided to play along for the time being. It had taken him months to build up Mengsk's trust, and now he was finally being rewarded with the means to locate Raziel.

Formed by the emperor's decree, the covert unit was officially meant for research and development of new weapons technology. Unofficially, they also had the objectives of locating Raziel and acquiring Protoss technology whenever the opportunity presented itself. Named the Vempari Segment by Kain himself, the unit also wore his personal insignia.

After a few more minutes, the ship reached a particularly large asteroid. A concealed metal door opened on its surface and the pilot steered the ship inside. In a few moments, the ship landed and the large door closed behind it. Stepping out of the ship, Kain found himself in a hangar. Its surfaces were covered with dull gray metal and thousands of white lamps were built into the ceiling. A few hundred wraiths were parked to his right, and a contingent of soldiers appeared to be waiting for him, all wearing the same brown uniforms.

"Attention!" a man in his late forties said. He had black hair, trimmed in a crewcut, gray eyes and a goatee, and was wearing a colonel's insignia. The platoon turned to Kain and the man approached him and saluted.

"General, welcome to S-01, the Segment's staging base. I'm colonel Kaplan, head of the special operations division."

"At ease, colonel." Kain replied. "What is our current situation?"

"Sir, we have just received the scheduled supply shipments from Umoja. All ships are accounted for, and the last of our personnel arrived two hours ago. Let me show you around the base."

"Very well colonel. Lead on."

"Dismissed!" the colonel said to the platoon. The men slowly scattered, though a few stared at their new general, somewhat surprised by his appearance. "This way sir."

June 7th 2502, 12:05 AM

Executor's Command Ship Hand of Tassadar

Low orbit over the second moon of Shakuras

The large command room was filled with various devices, which Raziel found prudent not to touch. As Selendis steered the ship at the head of the Strike Fleet, a transmission was received. A small holographic projector produced the image of an armored Protoss.

"Executor, we have finished preliminary scans of the surface." the Protoss said.

"What do you have to report?" Selendis asked.

"The Zerg forces are in smaller number than expected. Also, we have been unable to detect a cerebrate so far."

"Most peculiar..."

"What is it?" Raziel asked.

"The Zerg are mindless creatures. Though they may have a primitive pack instinct, they could not have ventured so deep into our territory without a cerebrate to coordinate them."

"What are your orders, Executor?" the Protoss asked.

"Commence orbital bombardment on my mark."

At the Executor's command, the Strike Fleet rained death upon the small hive cluster, blasting its structures into a bloody pulp as the drones scattered. Most of the Zerg in the area were annihilated in a few moments, but Selendis was not satisfied.

"There might still be some Zerg hiding underground. Deploy the observers and sweep the area."

"We are going to avoid a ground engagement then?" Raziel asked.

"These creatures have the ability to burrow underground. I do not want to risk sending our people into an ambush."

"Now that you mention it, this seemed too easy, considering what I have heard about the Zerg. They must have a larger base somewhere."

"You are learning. We will make a Templar out of you yet."

After half an hour sweeping the entire moon, part of the Strike Fleet encountered a large gathering of flying units.

"Executor! A pack of kukulzas has just entered sensor range!" one of the pilots reported.

Out of nowhere, a small ship appeared and managed to overtake the Strike Fleet, surprising the pilots and Selendis.

"What is that thing?" one of the pilots asked.

"It looks like a modified corsair..." Selendis thought out loud.

"Is this one of those experimental weapons I have heard about?" Raziel asked.

"Where did that thing come from?" Selendis asked her crew.

"Unknown. It seems to have a cloaking device." one of the crew members replied.

Without warning, the ship darted into space and vanished as if it had never been there, leaving the Protoss to continue their engagement. The Strike Fleet converged on that location and obliterated the kukulzas. Soon they arrived at another hive cluster, larger than the first. Strangely enough, there was a fair amount of defensive structures, but no creatures in sight. Not even a single drone or overlord was within sensor range.

"Something is amiss..." Selendis said. "Prepare for bombardment."

"Executor!" one of the crew members suddenly said "We have detected an underground network of caves. There is a concealed entrance in a nearby cliff, and we are reading life forms inside."

"More of them could be hiding there." Raziel said. "Let me handle this."

"What?" Selendis incredulously asked. "At least let us clear a landing site and send some of our troops to assist you."

"There is no need." he calmly replied. "There are a few peculiar details about my person that you are not aware of. Raze the hive cluster. I will be fine by myself."

Selendis was confused. She had heard about the strange newcomer's fighting prowess, but most of the details concerning where he had come from and what exactly he was had been kept under wraps by Artanis himself.

"I know there are things I am not allowed to know yet, but I must check with the Hierarch. I would not let anyone take unnecessary risks, and you are a guest. We would be poor hosts if anything happened to you."

"I understand your prudence, though you have no reason to worry about me. I will get ready while you consult him."

Selendis quickly opened a channel to the war room and a holographic image of Artanis appeared.

"Executor, how goes the offensive?" he asked with a hint of excitement.

"Something is amiss. We have just located a second hive cluster byt have yet to encounter any ground forces."

"Odd... Even if this is a new tactic and there is some sort of trickery afoot, it is not like Kerrigan to do something like this, especially considering that she knows what the Xel'Naga temple is capable of. I will keep the Grand Fleet on alert and dispatch additional guards to the Temple, in case this is a diversion."

"There is another matter, Hierarch. Our guest wishes to venture into a nearby cavern complex to hunt the Zerg. We still have to destroy this hive cluster, but he insists on going down there by himself."

"Ah Raziel... Already worrying Selendis..." Artanis said with a laugh. "Do not worry about him, Executor. He is more than capable of handling the Zerg while you oversee the bombardment. Report as soon as there are new developments."

"Very well, Hierarch. En Taro Tassadar."

June 7th 2502, 12:16 AM

Grand Fleet Hangar

Shakuras

Raynor paced around as the Protoss technicians finished working on the Hyperion. Rowena stood next to him, along with a man with short black hair.

"A pity about Braxis." Rowena said. "But it had to be done."

"There is little trace of the bombardment already." the man said. "Everything has frozen over once again. Still, some of the fauna was unique. It's gone forever."

Raynor stood silently and watched on a handful of Dark Templar walked by.

"Still no news of Zeratul..." one of them said.

"It is almost as if he does not wish to be found." Another added.

"Artanis may be wise beyond his years and have none of the prejudice some of his companions from Aiur have shown, but it is not the same."

"I know what you mean. The Matriarch wished Zeratul to take her place."

"Hey boys." Raynor said after a while. The Dark Templar turned to him.

"Adun Toridas, Jim Raynor. How goes your quest against the Dominion's grasp?"

"To be honest, it's been slow and frustrating. We don't have enough manpower, we're running out of credits, half our gear needs to be replaced and we keep running into spineless wimps who don't have the balls to do what needs to be done."

"We would gladly assist you." One of the Dark Templar said. "I understand that you are in need of infiltrators."

"Artanis is nice enough to let you tag along, but are you sure you don't have more important things to do than hang out with me?"

"We would not be the first Protoss to join you. Or the last. Despite our own troubles, your cause is just. It would be an honor to aid you."

"Well, that seems to be cheering him up." the other man commented to Rowena.

"Commander... Matt... I'm worried about him." she replied in a low tone.

"I thought I told you to drop the formalities. We're all fugitives." he replied before lowering his voice to a whisper. "But so am I. He hardly sleeps, he's been getting irritable, and I suspect he's been drinking too much."

"First this Raziel guy and now Dark Templar wanting to join... Maybe we can make some progress with their help." she said.

"Well, we did manage to recruit some sleeper agents..."

"Yeah, but some visible results would be nice. We need to figure out a way to expose Mengsk for what he is, or at least hurt him where it matters."

June 7th 2502, 12:20 AM

Vempari Segment Base S-01

Magus Asteroid Belt, Crono Star System

"Quite an impressive structure you have here, colonel." Kain admitted. "No one would think of looking for a base in such a remote area."

"If you'll come this way, general, I will show you the research lab." Kaplan said.

With a nod, Kain followed him into another area. The two soon arrived at a large blast door.

"The professor is a bit... eccentric. His record is rather colored, so I thought it would be a good idea to take some precautions." Kaplan explained. He then approached a panel on the door frame, removed his right glove and placed his hand on it.

"Colonel Kaplan, special operations." he said to a miniature microphone.

"Access granted." an electronic voice replied.

The door slowly opened, revealing a wide corridor, lined with a few doors. At the end of the corridor, past another door, Kain saw an ample laboratory. Two large tables were in the center of the room, their surface covered by all sorts of devices, some of obvious alien origin. He also noticed a few cylinders that seemed to contain some sort of organic material floating in a green liquid. The wall to his left was lined with large containment units, ready to receive specimens, while on his right he saw several devices, from computers and an electronic microscope to a gene sequencer. A few devices seemed to contain cell cultures. The back wall was lined with a workbench containing a multitude of tools, cases filled with lab material and large bottles of various chemicals and a large computer with a big screen set on a desk. Sitting in front of the computer, typing frantically while mixing chemicals was a man in his fifties with graying hair, wearing a lab coat.

"General" Kaplan said "This is Professor Exaccus."

The man suddenly interrupted his work, got up and turned to face them. His hairline was quickly receding above his forehead, his hands were stained by prolonged contact with chemicals and slightly discolored. There was something about him that instantly made Kain dislike him. Perhaps it was the beady gray eyes and the greasy smile, or maybe simply his portly figure and prominent belly that made him appear lazy and overfed.

"Ah, general! It's a pleasure to meet you!" he said with an even greasier voice that made Kain cringe.

"So you are the one in charge of the research department?" Kain asked.

"Yes sir. Right now I'm working on a few assault vehicle projects."

"Assault vehicles? Very well. Show me what you have."

Kaplan raised an eyebrow. He had seen some of the designs, and had found a few rather ludicrous. They were either oversized, too expensive, or had rather sadistic weapons. As Exaccus went over the various projects, Kain watched intently. He knew a good idea when he saw one, and made a mental note to check his available funds and materials. Mengsk had mentioned something about a couple of million credits. About ten minutes later, an aide rushed in.

"General! We have a picked up a distress call from Dalgor III! Zerg attack!"

"Dalgor III?" Kain asked.

"It's a small mining colony in a nearby system." Kaplan replied. "It's relatively recent and out of the way though. I'm surprised the Zerg found it."

"Are there any forces nearby that can handle this?"

"No general. We're the closest. The planet only has a small garrison."

Kain smirked. He hated the thought of doing petty clean up work, but Mengsk might bother him if he ignored the distress call. Besides, the vampire was incredibly bored, having spent months shuttling from place to place and putting up with Mengsk's endless speeches to the troops. Dealing with the Zerg would be a welcome distraction.

"Handpick me some troops and have some ships ready colonel." Kain finally said. "I shall deal with this personally."


	7. Cave Crawling

Chapter 6 – Cave Crawling

June 7th 2502, 12:30 AM

Second Moon of Shakuras

Raziel made his way through the ravaged hive cluster, treading in creep and pieces of Zerg biomass to his knees. Casually blasting the odd surviving Zerg with a telekinetic blast, he followed his instincts towards a rocky formation in the distance. Gliding over a few impact craters from stray bombs, he arrived at what appeared to be a simple pile of large stones against the rock wall. He quirked an eyebrow as he stared at them, as if trying to see through. It was then that he noticed a gray-brown mass seeping between a couple of the largest stones.

"More creep..." he thought. "There is definitely something here."

Raziel quickly reached for the portable communicator Selendis had given him and activated it.

"I have found something suspicious." he said as soon as the Executor's holographic image appeared. "Possibly a hidden cave. I shall attempt to expose it now."

During his stay in Shakuras, Raziel had almost forgotten about the strange magical glyphs he had picked up during his journey through Nosgoth. He was reluctant to use them because he didn't know when he'd be able to recharge them, not that he needed the devices most of the time anyway. He could have simply waited for the Protoss to home in on his signal and blast the rocks into atoms, but for some reason he felt a growing sense of urgency, almost as if something was calling at the edge of his consciousness. Examining the rocks, he found their appearance familiar. Though many chunks were too heavy for even him to lift, they reminded him of a particularly brittle kind of stone he had encountered in his journey.

"Yes... The sound glyph should take care of the pieces I cannot move." he thought as he got to work moving the smaller rocks out of the way, blasting some of them with his telekinetic bolts to break them into a more manageable size. He regretted not having Kain's level of telekinetic prowess, which would have likely allowed him to simply levitate everything out of the way. The Protoss who had helped him in this training had told him there was some sort of mental block that prevented him from accessing his full abilities as well as the memories of his time as a human.

After a few minutes, only three of the largest chunks of rock remained. Raziel summoned the small device and set it against the nearest mass before activating it. After a short energy buildup, a violent shockwave erupted from the glyph, shattering the rocks in an instant. What little was left was so riddled with cracks a simple punch would break it apart. A couple of telekinetic blasts finished the job, finally exposing a small cave mouth. The strange feeling intensified as Raziel unsummoned the glyph and crossed the threshold.

The air in the cave was cold and fetid. The ground was completely covered with creep and strange fungi littered the walls, casting an eerie purple glow. Raziel sensed movement in the distance and dashed forward, coming upon a cluster of Zerg eggs and a couple of hydralisks. Making quick work of the creatures, he crushed the eggs and moved on, the strange feeling intensifying with every step.

June 7th 2502, 12:35 AM

Dominion Mining Facility

Dalgor III

"What a fucking mess..." the sergeant muttered, looking at the mangled corpses of a group of miners the marines had just pulled out of a ruined supply depot.

"Report." Kain said as he stepped closer.

"Sir, the main base has been overrun. No survivors so far. They didn't bother infesting anything though. It's like they were going for something else. Since we can't pick anything on our scanners, my guess is they're in the mining tunnels."

"Then that's where we're headed." Kain replied. "Have the mechanized units secure the area and look for survivors. I shall take a squadron down there myself."

"Just one squadron? Sir, are you sure?"

"I would very much rather go alone without having to babysit a bunch of humans, but one must keep a low profile... for now." Kain thought.

"Just make sure the Zerg did not leave any surprises on what's left of the base. Besides, those tanks look rather clumsy for a fight in crowded spaces." the vampire said before gesturing at the soldiers. Taking four marines, two firebats and two Ghosts with him, he headed into the personnel elevator. The elevator itself appeared to be working, likely through a backup generator located in the mines, but there was no telling if the lights below were working. Kain pushed a button and the cabin descended into the foreboding darkness.

"Weird guy, that one." the sergeant thought. "Most people would want to take some tanks or Goliaths down there. Oh well..."

After a couple of minutes the elevator's loud grinding stopped and the cabin's chainlink doors opened, allowing access to an ample chamber carved into the rock, with the walls reinforced by metal plates. Kain heard the rattle of the ventilation systems and saw a lit corridor ahead, but as soon as he stepped closer, the lights went out.

"Switch to thermal imaging and get in formation." he said to the men. "Watch your step and you may make it out of here alive."

After a few hundred yards, the path forked. Kain grabbed his portable communicator and pushed a button.

"Upload the schematics for this place and see if you can salvage any logs from the facility." he whispered. From what he had learned of the Zerg in the past few months, such an incursion was incoherent with their previous movements. His instincts told him there was something strange going on.

As soon as the communications officer complied with his request, Kain paused to study the digital map. He was adapting well to the technology, and found himself amused by the variety of toys at his disposal. Finally, making up his mind, he took a right turn, and the squadron followed. They soon came upon a long corridor with several arms stretching to the sides. According to the map, this was a maintenance area where parts and broken machinery were kept. He could make out the outline of an SCV leaning against the doorway at the other end of the corridor. Suddenly, his ears picked up the sound of movement and he started scanning the area. Specks of red appeared in his infrared vision in the distance.

"Not a sound." he telepathically ordered the men. "Ready some fragmentation charges and follow me."

The men were startled to suddenly hear his voice in their minds, but they assumed he was some sort of Ghost and complied, following him closely. They too started picking up the heat signals in the distance and knew that combat was imminent. Swiftly and silently, they moved across the maintenance area and reached yet another corridor. Kain gestured at them and they fired the fragmentation charges, which exploded a few yards ahead with loud bangs.

Suddenly, all hell broke loose. As soon as they heard the sound of the charges shredding flesh, loud growls started echoing and a group of zerglings rushed at them, leaving a trail of blood behind them. The squadron opened fire, while Kain dashed forward with his claws bared, tearing off a hydralisk's head.

"What the hell is that crazy son of a bitch doing?!" one of the marines shouted as he watched Kain wade into a pack of Zerg.

"Kickin' ass, that's what he's doin'!" a firebat replied, before burning a zergling to a crisp. "Follow the boss!"

As the squadron caught up to Kain, something suddenly burst out of the ground, impaling one of the marines and grazing the others.

"Son of a bitch!" the man yelled in pain. "What the fuck is that shit?!"

"Lurkers!" a firebat replied.

"In here? This is solid rock for fuck's sake!" a Ghost said.

"Fall back!" Kain ordered. "I will handle this."

The men picked up the wounded marine and beat a hasty retreat, leaving Kain free to act. Turning his gaze down, he shut out the background noise until he heard a heartbeat coming from under the rock.

"I have you now." he whispered.

The lurker growled and shot another torrent of spikes up through the rock, but Kain deftly dodged them. Concentrating on the heartbeat, Kain focused his telekinetic powers and ripped the creature out of the ground, slamming it against the ceiling, walls and ground with such violence its carapace practically exploded. Ignoring the men's awe, he stomped the lurker's head like a ripe watermelon.

"I hear more of them ahead." he said, wiping his boot. "Hold on."

With the same inhuman ease, he ripped two more lurkers out of the ground and hurled them at the walls with enough force to crack their skulls. The soldiers cheered, but the wounded marine suddenly started coughing. Kain approached and examined the man. The spike had gone through the left side of his torso and apparently punctured a lung.

"Two of you, get him out of here. The rest, follow me."

Two of the marines nodded and carried him to the elevator.

June 7th 2502, 13:00

Second Moon of Shakuras

"What in blazes is this thing?" Raziel thought, looking at the strange object before him. It looked like a khaydarin crystal mounted on a tripod, but it was partially covered by a brown biological goo. As he approached it, the image of a strange woman with an alien voice invaded his mind.

"Who dares interfere with the Queen of Blades?! You will pay for this insolence, Protoss!"

"Kerrigan, I presume?" Raziel replied. "As if I or the Protoss would fear some infested harlot! Show yourself!"

Suddenly the goo burst into flames and the crystal fell down, shattering into pieces.

"Is that it?" Raziel asked, blinking. "Uninspired threats and a useless toy?"

He reached for his wrist communicator and opened a channel to Selendis.

"Executor, I have found something down here. It appears to be a bizarre half biological, half mineral construct, but it is broken to pieces now."

"Hybrid technology... Selendis muttered. But who would place such a thing there?"

"Kerrigan, I believe. She just telepathically threatened me, so I can only assume that this thing is some sort of relay for her psychic powers."

"By Adun... What could that mad wench be plotting this time? You have done well, Raziel. We shall send a probe to retreive the remains."

June 7th 2502, 13:15

Dominion Mining Facility

Dalgor III

After a few more skirmishes against the Zerg, and losing one of the firebats to an accident with his fuel tank, Kain came upon a large square chamber filled with harvested minerals stacked on a conveyor belt. According to the schematics, they weren't too far from one of the larger belts that transported the minerals to the surface. Something in the middle of the chamber caught his eye, obviously out of place. It looked like a crystal on a tripod, partially covered with a mass of brown biological goo. As he stepped closer to examine it, the image of a strange woman with an alien voice invaded his mind.

"Foolish humans!" the woman hissed. "You dare to interfere with the Queen of Blades?! I will come for you soon!"

Just as fast as it had appeared, the image faded and the device burst into flames with a sickening stench. Kain reached for his communicator.

"Get me a secure line to Mengsk. Now."


	8. Of Dark Templars and Politicians

Chapter 7 – Of Grey Templars and Politicians

August 15th 2502, 17:12

Zerg Hive Cluster

Barada Prime

With inhuman speed, Raziel dodged the zerglings' frenzied attacks, carving through them with the Reaver as he spun it in a wide arc. As a flock of mutalisks approached, he placed a finger to his forehead and suddenly there were ten of him. Confused, the beasts randomly spat their glaive wurms, causing some of the images to flicker, while the real Raziel tore a massive rock off the ground and threw it at them. He had to be careful around those creatures, as though the Reaver was sustaining his physical form, he knew he would have to replenish his energy if he were hit. Battling in the middle of a Zerg hive cluster meant he always had to be on the lookout and couldn't stop to feed.

One month earlier...

Raziel stood before two statues that formed the centerpiece of the Protoss temple's main hall. He watched as High Templar and Dark Templar alike bowed before them in reverence, and recognized the effigies of Tassadar and Zeratul.

"Magnificent, are they not? Truly examples to be followed." a voice said into his mind. Turning around, he saw an elderly Protoss clad in silvery robes, carrying a large tome. "They shattered the veil of prejudice and cleared the sight of many, eventually resulting in the reunion of our people."

"I have heard of them." Raziel said. "Friends of Raynor. Always spoken of in reverence by your people."

"Tassadar was the first since the time of Adun to rebel against the Conclave and the Judicator caste. While his leaders would have him purge infested worlds by fire, slaughtering Zerg and innocent alike, he had the vision they lacked and sought to bring down the Zerg by destroying the Cerebrates. But in order to do that he required the energies wielded by the Dark Templar, and by seeking them out he was branded a traitor and a heretic by his people."

"I know what it is like to have your own turn upon you... I bear the scars to this day, and only vengeance will quench my fury. But I have heard that Tassadar was the first to combine the teachings of both Templar currents. Pharon told me some stories of how Tassadar and Zeratul met on Char and became friends. I have studied with High Templar and Dark Templar alike, learned to harness part of their energies. But the feats those of higher instruction are capable of are quite formidable."

"Formidable as their feats are, all of them started out as humble acolytes. You have already come far. Your will is strong and focused. Much like theirs. When Tassadar was young, he surprised his teachers by mastering the art of illusion quite precociously. High Templar are resourceful in combat. They can focus their will upon an object or living being and alter the way it is perceived by others. Typically, they resort to those techniques as a decoy, in order to draw away enemy attacks, or to sow confusion among enemy ranks. One warrior can appear to be legion, terrifying the opposition and making them waste their energy striking at air while he moves in to deliver a swift blow."

"I can imagine that such a technique would be quite effective."

The elderly Protoss' eyes glimmered and he straightened up.

"Allow me to demonstrate." he said. With a sudden flash, the Protoss appeared to split into four, all staring intently at Raziel. The wraith paused for a moment and poked one of the illusions with his claw, finding it coherent, but not completely solid.

"Did you alter my perception?" he asked. "I did not feel anything, but..."

"At the core of the illusion is a small flicker of psionic energy that assumes the desired guise, forming a solid energy construct that is coherent enough to make the original very difficult to distinguish." the Protoss to his right said.

"At the same time, false sensory input is projected into the mind of the observer." the one to his right added.

"This twofold effect is even capable of fooling most machines, but the construct is very fragile and if it is struck with enough force the energy will dissipate and the effect will end." the second Protoss on the right said.

"If properly used, this ability can help one escape a confrontation, or prevent it entirely." the second Protoss on the left said.

"Harness the power!" the four said in unison. "Sow chaos into enemy ranks! Make them believe that they fight not one, but legion! Then strike as they flail about trying to understand what is happening!"

With another flash, the illusions were gone, and only the old Protoss remained. "You are a remarkable being, Raziel." he said. "If you truly commit yourself to your training, you will master light and darkness, like Tassadar himself. The Grey Templar opened the way for others to follow."

"I would not know where to begin..." Raziel said. "I have acquired some basic notions of psionics, but I only know how to project energy, not shape it."

"Then we shall begin there. Gather your telekinetic energy into your hand, as if you were to hurl a bolt."

Raziel did so, and soon a sphere of energy was swirling in his hand.

"Gaze upon the energy. See how it pulses, how it hums. Now close your eyes and imagine yourself forming a new body out of it."

Raziel nodded and recalled the way he willed himself into the material realm, crafting a new body from spirit energy every time. He tried to imagine himself standing upon a conduit to the material realm, and attempted to shape the psionic energy into something more malleable. He felt the energy pulse and vibrate, and when he opened his eyes there was a flicker of blue light between his fingers.

"It is a start." the Protoss said. "It is a fragile core, but from it you will eventually be able to build the construct."

"This has been an enlightening experience. Perhaps I am not too far off from wielding the other powers displayed by the Templar."

"There is no limit to what one can accomplish with dedication and a strong will. Tassadar is proof of that. But do not go dying in a blaze of glory unless you absolutely must for the good of all. We need every able bodied warrior in our struggle against the Zerg. You have great potential Raziel. You are destined for great things."

"You give me too much credit, but I thank you for your words and your guidance... But now that I think about it, I did not ask your name."

"I am Patmos, young Raziel. Patmos the Doomsayer some call me, for I have visions of tragedy and try my best to keep them from coming true."

"Visions?"

"Yes. They can be vague and difficult to decipher, but they tend to revolve around the galaxy in flames. However, I find that such visions of destruction have eased since your arrival. I sense that you will play an important role in the fate of the galaxy, but that is all I am certain of for the time being."

"I do not know how long I will remain among your people, but as long as I am here, I will do what I can to aid in the war against the Zerg. The hospitality I have been offered here on Shakuras warms my battered heart. I had not thought myself capable of trusting anyone again after the way my own kin turned on me."

Raziel had found a new home among the Protoss, and the warrior psions had made him feel like he had a family again. He was determined to repay their kindness by proving himself against the Zerg. He had been able to think of something besides his vendetta against Kain, though he hadn't forgotten what he had suffered, and would gladly use his newfound abilities against him at the earliest opportunity. Meanwhile, as he slaughtered the Zerg on Barada Prime, his sworn enemy was dealing with his own challenge...

August 15th 2502, 17:15

Senate Building

Augustgrad, Korhal IV

Kain surveyed his surroundings, unimpressed by the luxury before him. The marble corridor before him was ornamented with statues of Mengsk, and the floor was lined with red velvet. The honor guardsmen stood at attention and saluted as he approached, clad in their red armors with golden stripes on the shoulderpads. The vampire wore a neutral expression on his face, though he was not exactly thrilled at what was to come. Mengsk had dragged him all the way from the Segment base to present his report before the Dominion senate, a task Kain felt was a waste of time.

"They're all so eager to know you, I couldn't deny them the pleasure." Mengsk had told him earlier. They were impressed by his performance against the Zerg, and the senate was abuzz with rumors about the new General. The way this stranger had risen to such a position on such short notice had fueled intense speculation about his ties to Mengsk and his skills. Tales about his combat prowess had spread beyond the Segment facilities, and he was becoming a legend of sorts among the Dominion.

Kain smirked as he tugged at the collar of his uniform, which was richly decorated with various commendations. Mengsk had been quite pleased with his performance against the Zerg, and so far Kain had humored him by quietly accepting the accolades. In reality, the vampire cared not for the praise. Though the Zerg were proving to be worthy opponents for him to test his mettle and keep his skills sharp, Kain was still concerned with finding Raziel most of all. The months he had spent in the Dominion's service were a necessary sacrifice in order to have access to the Dominion's resources. He was slowly getting acquainted with the Koprulu sector, its history and politics, trying to deduce Raziel's moves. So far, the Dominion's agents had been unable to find conclusive evidence about his location, but Kain had a feeling that his former lieutenant would probably end up getting involved in local affairs, and it would be only a matter of time until he made himself visible. It was not in Raziel's nature to remain idle, and the former Sarafan had a pechant for getting involved in what he perceived as righteous struggles.

Having known Raziel for a millenium and seen the future firsthand through the chronoplasm chamber, Kain had known exactly what the wraith was going to do before he knew it himself. He had allowed his lieutenants to acquire new dark gifts, so that their souls would empower Raziel, and he had ensured that he would find them. Only Turel's disappearance had been unforeseen, but Kain knew that his former right hand would be sufficiently empowered to pursue his true destiny even without Turel's enhanced telekinetic abilities. Kain's hardened heart had not faltered through the preparations, but he couldn't help feeling a pang of regret at the torment he had inflicted upon Raziel. But he cast such thoughts aside, knowing that his transformation was an inevitable necessity for the fate of Nosgoth to be set straight. By becoming a wraith, Raziel had cast aside his vampiric weaknesses and become indestructible and able to absorb the souls of his enemies. By bonding with the Reaver, he had gained a powerful weapon and tool that would open new paths. Kain only hoped his carefully laid out plan would work, and that the changes he was going to introduce to the timeline would not strain it beyond what it could take, or all would have been for naught. And there was also the danger of staying away from Nosgoth for too long. Kain still hadn't figured out a way to return, and was getting increasingly nervous.

The vampire gazed upon the large double door before him, made of solid wood and engraved with the insignia of the Sons of Korhal. The two honor guards standing at the sides opened them for him and he stepped into a large circular chamber, lined with row upon row of seats, all facing an elevated platform where Mengsk stood, clad in a brown uniform with gold embroidery and with a long black cloak trailing behind him. Next to him, Kain was surprised to find Exaccus.

"... and this decisive blow will behead the Zerg war machine. I'm sure you'll all agree that's worth the price." The scientist was saying, just as Kain entered the chamber. He then turned his gaze to the doorway and eyed Kain.

"General, this is a surprise. I didn't know you had been summoned as well." Exaccus said, straightening up and rubbing his hands together.

"Here he is, the man of the moment." Mengsk said. "Gentlemen, meet General Kain, the head of the Vempari Segment and the reason why our operations against the Zerg have been so successful."

Kain climbed the stairs to the elevated platform and looked around, feeling the gaze of all the humans upon him. He felt out of place, and wasn't exactly pleased that part of the Segment's staff had been summoned to the senate without him being informed.

"As you requested, I have come to deliver my report." Kain said. "Over the last two months we have received no less than twenty distress signals from various colonies and ships. Zerg activity is increasing, and several trade routes have been marked as hazardous as a result. At this point we are still unable to determine what the Zerg are planning, but this escalation should be taken seriously and decisive action should be taken before the Zerg gain a foothold on Dominion territory. In addition, our research on the strange crystal retreived from Dalgor III continues. So far it appears to be a psionic signal amplifier, but we have been unable to activate it. It appears to have burnt itself out and become inert."

"Your reccomendation is noted, General." Mengsk said. "And Professor Exaccus has just given us an idea of how to best carry out a decisive strike against the Zerg."

"General Kain, what about the Segment's other research projects?" One of the senators asked. Kain turned his gaze to him and recognized the man. He appeared to be in his late forties, with graying black hair and big blue eyes, his face always with a perfectly neutral expression. He was wearing an expensive looking gray suit.

"Senator Kinsey." Kain acknowledged. "There has been marginal progress since your visit. Our energy weapons project continues to advance smoothly and we are working on improving their potency while maintaining an acceptable level of efficiency. We should have a portable plasma cannon capable of piercing neosteel within the next two months. Work on the portable psi disruptors continues, though there was little to be salvaged from the original structure."

"Excellent work, General." Mengsk said. "And now we have a new assignment for you that should allow us to finally get back at the Zerg. You are to lead a taskforce to Tarsonis and access ATLAS' databanks. There is data within that we need for a priority project that takes precedence over the Segment scientists' current tasks."

"Very well. When do I leave?" Kain asked, giving Mengsk and Exaccus a suspicious glare.

"The taskforce is ready. You are to depart at 0600." Mengsk replied. "Professor Exaccus will accompany you. He knows how to operate the machinery."

"First he gives me command of a covert military unit, then he plots with my staff behind my back? Why do I get the feeling I am going to regret working with these fools?" Kain thought. "I will have to keep an eye on this... professor..."


	9. Doubt and Determination

Chapter 8 – Doubt and Determination

August 15th 2502, 19:00

Jim Raynor's Quarters, Hyperion

Shakuras

Jim Raynor sighed as he downed a glass of whiskey at his quarters in the Hyperion. Lost in thoughts, he didn't hear the knocking on the door.

"Commander?" Rowena called. "Are you all right?"

Snapping out of his trance, he stood up and walked to the door.

"Just... thinking... What's the matter?"

"Artanis called. He needs you at the citadel."

"Tell him I'll be right over."

"You could probably use a change of clothes." she remarked. "You've been wearing the same outfit for two weeks."

"I guess I have..." he replied absentmindedly. "I suppose I've been neglecting myself a bit lately."

"You're still thinking about her, aren't you?"

Raynor sighed and lowered his gaze.

"How could someone change so much?" he muttered. "I know she was infested, but..."

"You think you know someone, and yet they surprise you." Rowena said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "There was no way you could have predicted it. And you were powerless to prevent it."

"The sweet girl I knew is gone. There's nothing more than a monster in her place. Someday, I will fulfill my promise. I will kill her. But I can't stop thinking about what could have been."

"And after that? What will you do?"

"I don't know... I wanted to overthrow that bastard Mengsk, make him pay for his crimes... but there's only so much we can do with our limited resources. I'm not so sure we can make it anymore... And even if we do, then what?"

"Then we start over. Build a better future. You've proved that we can get along with the Protoss. We don't need to be in a constant war against everyone else. The Alliance is small, true, but growing strong. The Zerg will be dealt with in time, and though we can't bring all those dead back, we can honor their memory by making those ravaged worlds whole again."

"And then maybe... just maybe... I'll be able to sleep at night, without being haunted by my failure." Raynor muttered.

"The failure was not yours. You can't blame yourself for everything. You took decisive action when it was required and saved lives."

Raynor sighed.

"I guess there's no point in dwelling on the past, is there? Not when there's so much work ahead of us."

"That's more like it." Rowena said with a smile. "Matt and I were getting worried about you. Come, let's make history."

"You're right about me needing a change of clothes though." Raynor said, smelling himself. "And a bath. You go on ahead. I'll just freshen up a bit."

Twenty minutes later, Raynor found himself at the Council Chamber, where he was greeted by Artanis and Raziel. Raynor couldn't help noticing how the shadows wrapped themselves around the wraith, giving him an ethereal look.

"Hey guys." he said. "How's it going Raziel? You look different."

"I find the shadows... comforting." the wraith replied.

"So, what's going on around here?" Raynor asked. "I just came back from Umoja and haven't had the time to catch up on the local news."

"You know of the Zerg incursions we have repelled with Raziel's assistance?" Artanis asked.

"I heard about them. Just as I thought, he's blending in just nicely."

"His ability to tap into the Zerg's hive mind has proved invaluable as well. But you are probably wondering why I called you here."

"I get the feeling it's not good news, but go ahead and drop the bomb."

"With the recent escalade in Zerg attacks, the Council is convinced that we should strike at Char."

"After what happened last time? If three fleets didn't get the job done, what makes you think one will be enough?"

"This time, we have a different plan. We intend to use three smaller Strike Fleets in a diversionary maneuver while a small force infiltrates the surface."

"So you're going for an assassination?" Raynor asked in surprise.

"The Council has been pressuring me to take action after the Zerg incursions of the last few months."

"Hierarch, what are you doing?" Selendis interrupted, stepping into the chamber. "This is a Protoss matter. Why are you getting him involved?"

"Selendis, you know how much Jim Raynor has done for our people." Artanis retorted. "And this matter has a personal meaning to him."

"I want the bitch dead as much as any of you, especially after what she did to Fenix." Raynor said. "But I swore I'd be the one to do it."

"The Council would not approve of your presence, unfortunately." Artanis stated wearily. "To put it simply, the Hierarchy is becoming increasingly fragmented. Without the Conclave's influence, and with the loss of Aiur, the Protoss are reverting to tribalism."

"What if I just happened to be in the neighborhood?" Raynor asked with an odd gleam in his eyes.

"I could not guarantee your safety. I understand your oath of vengeance but do you really want to throw your life away to kill her?"

"Besides, there is something amiss about the whole thing." Selendis said. "The Hierarchy's plans sound too simple, too straightforward. Too optimistic. And who can tell what will happen to the Zerg once Kerrigan is dead? They might go on a rampage across the sector. But Judicator Telorus has whipped the Council into a frenzy. They want blood."

"So what are we going to do?" Raynor asked.

"We are going to play along for now." Selendis said. "You are going to head somewhere safe and out of the way. And this conversation never took place."

"I will destroy the wretch, do not worry." Raziel said with a gleam in his eyes. "I shall be your hand, your instrument of retribution."

"I guess it's out of my hands..." Raynor said with a sigh. "You go get her, buddy. Nail the bitch hard."

Little did they know that a shrouded figure was watching the whole exchange from the shadows, somehow undetected even by Raziel.

August 15th 2502, 19:10

Starport Lounge

Augustgrad, Korhal IV

Kain did not particularly appreciate having to answer to politicians. His empire had never had a place for them, and with good reason, he thought. He wondered how Mengsk managed to keep such a vast dominion under control when he had to juggle the susceptibilities of billions of humans and keep thousands of underlings in line.

His thoughts were interrupted as an aide entered the lounge and handed him a plated briefcase with an electronic lock. Kain absently placed a hand on the touchpad and nodded as the DNA recognition system activated and undid the lock. Inside the briefcase was a bundle of papers, containing a set of maps of the Tarsonis system and the surrounding space, along with a simple missive.

"For this mission you will also have the assistance of the Alpha and Nova squadrons on the field." It read. "Secure ATLAS. All other considerations are secondary."

Kain rubbed his chin and pondered. It would seem that Mengsk cared little about casualties.

"I hope this will all be worth it." He thought. "I am growing tired of playing games with these humans."

Kain made his way out of the building and towards the boarding room, where the helmsman awaited. His mind was already working furiously to process all the information he had just been given, and to formulate a proper combat strategy. Though the Zerg were weaklings compared to him, he knew he would have to be smart if he was going to take on an entire planet of them.

August 15th 2502, 20:00

Council Chambers

New Talematros, Shakuras

"We have evidence that the Dominion is preparing a major offensive against Char." Telorus said to the council. "Though we have little reason to care if they throw themselves at the Zerg, their clumsy attack could provide an opportunity for a decisive strike."

"Do not underestimate the humans." Artanis said. "They are resourceful and may yet surprise us. But I agree with your assessment. Our prototypes have exceeded all expectations and the Immortals are eager to do battle once again. The detachments we dispatched to retreive the Motherships and the Colossi report that they should be able to bring the first devices to Shakuras within two weeks."

"If I may." Selendis said. "I would suggest tearing through the defenses at the Omega platform with a heavy bombardment, followed by a rush of mechanized units. At the same time, Raziel will lead a cadre of Dark Templar and hunt Kerrigan down. Once she has been dealt with, the Zerg will fall into disarray and we can pull back and sterilize Char."

"A sound plan, Executor." Telorus said.

"Make it so." Artanis added. "We shall finish what Tassadar started."

"You can count on me." Raziel said. "I am most eager to test myself against the harlot. I hope she will provide suitable exercise. In the meantime, have there been any sightings of Kain?"

"Not to our knowledge." Artanis said. "But there is a rumor that may be worth looking into."

"A rumor?" Raziel asked.

"It would seem that Mengsk has a powerful new agent." Selendis said. "The rank and file have not seen anything, but it is said that their senate has been holding some secret meetings. We will look into this matter."

"I shall continue my training then." Raziel said. "Not to brag, but I am becoming adept at disrupting biological organisms. It should be useful if I am ever grossly outnumbered."

"Good luck with your training." Artanis said. Raziel saluted and stepped out of the chamber.

August 15th 2502, 23:00

Battlecruiser Bloody Fang

High Orbit Over Tarsonis

Kain stood in the bridge, gazing out into the planet below. At the edge of his perception he could feel the Zerg and their primal, raw emanations. The ferocity of such creatures had surprised him, but their mindlessness disgusted him to no end. Having been a pawn his entire existence, he deeply resented anyone who would make puppets out of living beings. Though he had never been very interested in his powers of mental manipulation, he was strong enough to resist any attempts at dominating his will, and once, in an age long past, he had been able to subjugate the minds of lesser humans to perform menial tasks that would clear the way for him through Meridian in his hunt for the Sarafan Lord.

The vampire's thoughts were interrupted as the ship arrived at its intended destination and the crew hastened to prepare for deployment. From the bridge he could see the preparations through several screens, and he was rather impressed by the crew's organization and coordination. Had he possessed a fraction of the communication technology that now surrounded him, his war would have been over in less than a century.

Meanwhile, in the ship's hangars, Exaccus grinned maniacally, rubbing his hands in eager anticipation...


End file.
